The MetroNet Supply Chain - New Value Production for Metropolitan Areas

The advent of new wireless technologies and their steady adoption is resulting in the creation of new metropolitan networks, or "MetroNets." And as we get more of these MetroNets, we are seeing a new ecosystem forming in front of our eyes. This ecosystem has more and more new players, and many old players, organized into a new MetroNet market supply chain. Looking at the supply chain, we see value created by MetroNets and exploited at the several stages of value production, described below.

Pre-MetroNet Service Providers
1. Information Providers monitor and promote the industry through fact-based books, articles, blogs, websites, etc.
2. Journalists monitor and promote the industry through opinion-based books, articles, blogs, and websites, etc.
3. Event Promoters promote the industry through conferences, seminars, etc.
4. Consultants provide consulting through planning, procurement, and network design services
5. Systems Integrators provide those same consulting services, but also systems deployment and network management & maintenance services

MetroNet Equipment Providers and Service Providers
6. Internet Backhaul Access equipment and service providers enable network backhaul primarily by fiber, but also with point-to-point and point-to-multipoint (WiMax) vendors
7. Last Mile Connectivity equipment providers feature point-to-point and point-to-multipoint (WiMax) network equipment, as well as Wi Fi mesh network equipment
8. Network Operators and Software Providers provide services and software to manage and enable a network after its construction
9. Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) provide Internet service to residential, business and governmental customers
10. Wireless Application Vendors provide specialized applications that run over IP networks
11. Wireless Equipment Vendors sell such equipment as wireless cameras, wireless handhelds and wireless sensors that leverage the new capabilities of municipal area networks

MetroNet Users & Groups
12. Commercial customers like businesses, industrial customers, and private utilities
13. Government customers like municipal, county & state governments
14. Residential customers, both individuals and groups – they are less concerned with infrastructure than they are with access and service quality
15. Stakeholder Interest Groups that represent these users

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