The Fundamentals of Metropolitan Broadband

If at times it's frustrating to try to explain the complexities of metropolitan broadband to a general population, that's the challenge we're faced with if we ever want to see real change and progress in this area. Too much of what we discuss internally goes right over outsiders' heads.

It's vital that we who are invested in this young industry work together better to educate a broader cross section of government and business leaders, because it's so difficult to grasp the transformative nature of these new technologies and business models without first mastering the fundamental facts of metropolitan broadband.

So I went back to a white paper I produced a year ago and updated it here to reflect the significant changes we saw in 2007 (but surprisingly, much stayed the same). Without further to-do or introduction then, here's the brief after the jump.

Metropolitan Broadband Explained: A Complex but Unique Opportunity

Times Have Changed

Both telecom infrastructure deployment and Internet access are poised for dramatic change based on recent advances in technology. Over decades, large telecom and cable companies built networks that provide service to individual homes and businesses, with a service business model that relies on narrow market competition and dense populations. They now offer a Triple Play of broadband Internet access, video, and voice telephony, often bundled as one service, in competition with each other.

Faced with a time-consuming and expensive roll out of new generation wired and wireless infrastructures and a pitched battle for customers with high marketing costs, these network giants are upgrading their networks by their own designs and on their own schedules. But among the large players, only Verizon with its FIOS offer is aggressively spending on fiber to the premises (FTTP). In the new field of metropolitan broadband (also called "municipal broadband"), a few pioneer municipalities leverage new technologies to deploy city-wide networks, generally with new smaller wireless Internet Service Providers or "WISPs."

Ironically, markets that are less attractive to the incumbents (outlying neighborhoods, new developments, cities and regions with lower income areas or smaller/less dense populations) present the best business opportunity of all for innovation and change. In these regions, governments, businesses, and increasingly, property owners and developers who take advantage of new wireless technologies and new business approaches gain independence from the giant telecom and cable companies. Starting with broadband access, they can move on to voice over IP (VOIP) and digital video, creating new services and revenue opportunities that both stimulate economies and raise the bar on competition.

Wireless Broadband Explained

What makes wireless broadband in under-served lower-tier markets such a special opportunity? First, standardization has brought equipment prices down to the point that Wi Fi chips are embedded in a variety of devices, and more and more network infrastructure equipment using Wi Fi (and soon, WiMAX) is coming on line. Second, the use of unlicensed spectrum for radio transmission removes the need for the large amounts of capital needed to win FCC spectrum auctions. Finally, over the past two years marquee projects in cities like Philadelphia and Houston have gained considerable press attention (both positive and negative), generating both interest and skepticism among municipalities and businesses.

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Figure 1. This graphic from wireless network equipment pioneer Tropos Networks shows that Wi Fi Mesh (and WiMAX) not only make the Last Mile affordable, but also create brand new connectivity options.

The Internet is a disruptive network, but the high cost of wiring out to each home and business - what telecom companies call "the Last Mile" and consumer advocates now call "the First Mile" - as well as the limited number of network owners, has in turn hindered the extension of the networks, keeping market penetration lower and prices higher than they would otherwise be with more competitive alternatives. The result is stagnation and a reinforcing negative cycle: the market's too small, so the network's too sparse, which keeps the market too small.

Wi Fi, the same technology that lights up Hot Spots and provides wireless connectivity inside homes and businesses, has been reconfigured into multi-node mesh networks that enable citywide coverage, and a cost-effective Last Mile solution, as in the diagram above. Shoe box-size Wi Fi mesh units on street light poles (or rooftops) pass data signals to and fro, providing communication between end users and the Internet at ever faster speeds. Fiber links and/or point-to-multipoint wireless (soon, WiMAX) provide the "Middle Mile," connecting "gateway" wireless nodes to the Internet.

Unlike traditional wired networks, these new modular and scalable networks enable small targeted cost-effective projects to be deployed that open up the market to a new perspective: small downtown networks confer "digital" status for cities and chambers of commerce, while neighborhoods can band together to share a broadband connection to get the same benefits of scale that enterprises do. Mesh networks are "self-healing," routing around obstacles. Because they're "IP" networks, they're open to any digital application that works on the Internet. Governments gain cost reductions, new service capabilities and increased flexibility with these new networks. Smaller, more targeted network businesses can experiment with new business models to gain market share over traditional competitors. Local businesses can attract knowledge workers and customers to the downtown areas of smaller towns.

Benefits and Uses of Metropolitan & Community Networks

To date, the benefits of this new technology have been viewed through the prism of traditional telecommunications. Viewed from this conventional perspective as a substitute for cable or DSL broadband, or for T1 lines for businesses, the benefits of wireless broadband are confined to lower priced Internet access, generally the theme of mainstream media coverage. Of course, wireless broadband brings mobility to the table, and its bandwidth and price compare favorably to newer cellular technology such as "3G" data options. And because of its economy, wireless broadband can provide affordable service in "hard-to-serve" markets, where DSL and cable do not go. Moving beyond broadband access, to video and voice, the other legs of the Triple Play, wireless holds its own, with adequate bandwidth and Quality of Service (QOS) to provide voice over WLAN, and short video options, with video downloads and streaming media on the horizon.

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Figure 2. A general purpose communications network enables connection to a variety of digital appliances & applications

But a host of other benefits await the metropolitan area or community that installs a wireless broadband network (see table above). To start, having broadband connectivity out in the air like an FM radio signal puts many solutions in reach that cannot be imagined without such a network. For instance, video surveillance options are much more affordable when hard-wiring is not required. Small cameras hooked to cheap digital storage transform the potential of video-based property security. Wireless sensor network options abound once a network is in place (e.g., radio frequency identification or "RFID"-tagged assets can be tracked using a Wi Fi mesh network). Consumer telephones, music and gaming devices now have Wi Fi capabilities. Mobile video and location-based services (LBS) are now possible using Wi Fi.

Perhaps the most significant benefit of these networks is regional economic development: not only do markets with competitive options for broadband enjoy lower prices for Internet access and greater network coverage, but just installing a wireless broadband network makes a statement to the local community and the rest of the world. By taking the first step with a downtown demonstration network, government, business, and community leaders send a signal about their vision for their metropolitan area or community to be on the cutting edge. When comparing regions, businesses and individuals increasingly place an emphasis on broadband connectivity options and long-term vision.

Prudent Steps into an Uncertain Future: How to Get Started

Whether you're in the public or private sector, one of the biggest challenges in making an investment is timing: when is it right to jump into a fast-moving stream (if ever)? In general, a conservative financial analysis shows a positive return on investment (ROI) in a reasonable amount of time, making the investment prudent. But in this case, it's difficult to know all the details impacting an ROI analysis. In light of these unknowns, government and business leaders tend to defer investments and seek more information.

Alternate low-risk paths involve regional collaboration and relatively small investments: an initial project planning and community mobilization consulting engagement can raise awareness and generate momentum; a "pilot" network can test a specific application; a "demonstration" network can be used to raise the level of awareness in a metropolitan region or community.

MetroNetIQ recommends getting started immediately with an initial assessment and awareness program or pilot and demonstration networks. Knowledge and awareness of these new networks is not widespread among the general public, so after getting oriented, leaders need to engage their communities in dialogue and share in their own learning process. Activity is newsworthy and will generate press coverage, promoting the economic development message at a fraction of the cost of a full deployment. Even a small network delivers initial economic development benefits to a specific area. Finally, small networks can be rapidly deployed (a month or less), for quick results and lessons.

MetroNetIQ recommends enhanced awareness and lowered risk with this process: 1) Initial consulting engagement to assess the environment, provide leadership briefings, and design a project plan; 2) Deployment of a small neighborhood network to showcase potential and enable experiential learning; and 3) Addition of applications of interest to the local community.

The benefits of such a deliberate, phased, prudent approach to metropolitan broadband networks are manifest: with success, small networks become the first phases of a larger network deployment; when problems are encountered, the networks serve as educational tools providing valuable real-world lessons.

What does this risk-management and education process look like? The chart below provides general information on networks, estimated expenses, and coverage.

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Figure 3. Getting started with pilot or demonstration networks showcases potential, accelerates learning, and lowers risk


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Posted on January 22, 2008 at 01:13 PM | Comments (0)

New Voice in the Muni Blogosphere

Greg Richardson, founder of Civitium, pioneer in driving the creation of this new industry, author of the Best Practices RFP Tool, and tireless consultant to large city deployments, has decided that 14-hour days are not enough and so he's launched a Civitium Weblog to complement his corporate consulting practice and website.

I welcome Greg's voice to the blog publishing arena and I think we will all be better for it. I presume we can also expect to hear from his colleagues at Civitium, co-founder Matt Stone and senior partner Patrick McCamley. Together, these voices of experience in RFP planning and deployment consulting hold great potential.

I admire and respect these guys for what they have done in these early days of municipal wireless networks. Please join me in welcoming them and watch their site over the coming weeks as they gather steam with their new blog.

Posted on July 12, 2005 at 10:03 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Municipal Networks Get Thorough Coverage from Financial Times

FT.com / FT-IT review In this series of articles on municipal wireless, the Financial Times Wednesday IT section covers metropolitan wireless from mesh to Wi Max. This series of articles provides a great overview for the novice reader with the very high quality, concise writing expected of the Financial Times.

In Cities Look to the Sky for Broadband Revolution, the first article, the author details the progress of vendors in the US and the political situation, then describes a recent IDC report on municipal networks in Europe, concluding with a vision of integrated networks in the future that use each different technology where appropriate for the most economic and efficient network, a refreshingly different approach from the somewhat tiring war of my technology can beat up your technology that is all too common these days.

Freedom to Roam Makes New Pioneers provides a detailed account of the Chaska, Minnesota wireless mesh deployment, one of the most bally-hooed wireless mesh deployments in the US to date. They did it on their own, they brought $16.95/month broadband to their residents, and by gum, it works.

The Complete Wireless Alphabet provides a concise explanation of the 57 confusing varieties of the alphabet soup that represents wireless standards in the narrow spectrum of Wi Fi and WLAN alone.

Ways to Keep Hackers at Bay gives a thorough review of wireless security issues, concluding that wireless and wireline security is a necessity, but ironically, wireless security gets more attention, so it ends up being more secure.


Integrated Plan Keeps Costs Down gives a great overview of planning issues for the enterprise, including the city government planner. As the author states, mobility strategies require specific management software and IT skills. This is a helpful planning document.

Posted on June 15, 2005 at 08:39 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Wireless 101: Out with the Old Rules, In with the New

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Because human beings have legs and are mobile, and they like to talk to each other almost as much as they like to breathe and eat, telecommunications has been a growth industry ever since Dr. Bell said "Watson, come here, I need you," or words to that effect. Increasingly, our telecommunications technologies are catching up with our on-the-go lifestyles and our need for mobility.

We love wireless applications, principally voice applications, because they follow us wherever we go. Just a few years ago cell phones became widely affordable, and now its hard to imagine being without one. The march for ever more mobility (See also the UnwireMyCity whitepaper March to Mobility) and the quest for more bandwidth as well, together put incredible pressure on the telecom titans, both wired and wireless, to adapt and compete.

The challenge for traditional telecom companies is to gain competitive skills and invest in broadband infrastructure to keep up with these changes and at the same time, hold on to their customer base whose monthly service payments finance their infrastructure investments. The challenge for competitive cellular companies is to build out their networks to gain broadband data capability.

The advent of new modular, cheap, and functional wireless technologies that use unlicensed spectrum changes the old rules, when it was a matter of dogma that only a few mega telecoms had the capital and technical know how to provide "carrier grade" telecom services. Out with that old rule.

The new rules of telecom favor the providers that can provide fat pipes for massive amounts of data, quickly and affordably, and most importantly, in mobile fashion. Don't count out the giants yet, but do acknowledge the new rules of the game when it comes to wired and wireless telephony. In with the new. Some are betting on the incumbents to crush the new guys, while others root for the new entrants to do an end run around their competitors like a speed boat around an ocean liner.

This section provides a series of tutorials and briefs on the new rules and the new technologies. Such understanding is the first step in a paradigm shift to grasp the impact and potential of broadband data communications on this ever more level playing field of telecommunications.

I'd recommend the sites and documents below to dig down on Wireless, for a quick start. I recommend you read them in the order provided.

Download these documents today!

802.11 Technologies: Past, Present, and Future is a thorough review of "Wi Fi" - All of the alphabet soup versions of IEEE's 802.11 industry standard for wireless broadband are reviewed, with a look at what's coming up as well.

A Mayor's Guide to Wireless This is a well written wireless primer that covers six different broadband technologies from a city leader's perspective. Sandy Teger and Dave Waks are co-founders of Broadband Home Central, a Web site and newsletter for those with a professional interest in residential broadband. They are also the Principals of System Dynamics Inc., a consultancy specializing in residential broadband technology and planning. They may be reached at 973-644-4739 or editor@bb-home.com.

Wireless Without Limits provides a good introduction to wireless issues and solutions.

Motorola Connections This article is an interview with Robert Filka, the Chief Operating Officer of the Michigan Broadband Development Authority, a lending entity created by the Michigan State Legislature to help spur the use and availability of affordable high-speed Internet access. The organization issues bonds and uses the proceeds to finance most types of broadband initiatives in underserved communities.

FT.com / FT-IT review This Financial Times article, featured in another blog in this category, has lots of good introductory articles on municipal wireless for the novice.

Metro-Scale Mesh Networking with Tropos MetroMesh Architecture explains how mesh networking can be used to cover an entire metropolitan area.

Price-Performance Comparison: 3G and Tropos MetroMesh Architecture compares the cellular 3G approach to provide full metropolitan coverage and the new Mesh Network approach. A compelling comparison.

Forward Compatible Network Management provides an overview of network design issues that come to bear on Wi Fi mesh networks.

Receive Sensitivity: A Practical Explanation explains in detail how radios work to receive signals from end devices and how they overcome interference issues inherent in using unlicensed spectrum.

Creating Capacity Using Superior Routing: The Metro-Scale Mesh Networking Facts demonstrates the means by which a mesh network can be scalable to cover an entire city - it's in the software.

Open Standards for Broadband Wireless Networks: Wi-Fi to WiMAX shows how mesh networks will migrate to WiMAX technology as it comes on line in the next two years.

The Perfect Storm This is a compelling look at convergence - in a short form white paper, very readable.

Finally, the new site WiMAX.com has an ever-growing amount of information on WiMAX, the revolutionary technology that will hit the streets in the next year.

Posted on May 19, 2005 at 01:24 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack