Geeks, Cowboys, and Bureaucrats: Deploying Broadband, the Wireless Way.

François BarFrançois BarHernan GalperinHernan Galperin

Annenberg School for CommunicationAnnenberg School for CommunicationUniversity of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California

"In the past two years another wireless "In the past two years another wireless system has been gradually developing, a system has been gradually developing, a system that has far outstripped all others system that has far outstripped all others in size and popularity… in size and popularity…

It is estimated that throughout the United It is estimated that throughout the United States over four thousand amateur States over four thousand amateur wireless telegraph stations are in active wireless telegraph stations are in active operation" operation"

Robert Morton in Outlook 94: p. 131 (Jan. 15, 1910)Robert Morton in Outlook 94: p. 131 (Jan. 15, 1910)

1. Cordless Ethernet:1. Cordless Ethernet:60,000,000 devices worldwide60,000,000 devices worldwide

Lakeview Photo credit: Hope Hall

Lakeview, May/June 2004: 899 nodes

Mapping: Christian Sandvig, UIUC

Lakeview, December 2004: 1407 nodes

Mapping: Christian Sandvig, UIUC

Humbolt Park

Photo credit: Hope Hall

Humbolt Park, June 2004: 39 nodes

Mapping: Christian Sandvig, UIUC

Humbolt Park, December 2004: 133 nodes

Mapping: Christian Sandvig, UIUC

South Los Angeles

Photo credit: Hope Hall

South Los Angeles, February 2005: 282 nodes

Mapping: Christian Sandvig, UIUC and Francois Bar, USC

Photo credit: Hope Hall

World-wide TOTALWorld-wide TOTAL 59,68059,680

United StatesUnited States 23,89123,891

United KingdomUnited Kingdom 9,6019,601

GermanyGermany 5,7295,729

FranceFrance 3,2403,240

JapanJapan 2,2632,263

SwitzerlandSwitzerland 1,3071,307

ItalyItaly 1,2681,268

SpainSpain 1,0711,071

CanadaCanada 1,0451,045

AustraliaAustralia 888888

Euro-5Euro-5 20,90920,909Source: Intel, 3/1/05

2. Commercial Hotspots

5378  US Locations

6766 International Locations

Borders, Kinko’s, Starbucks, Airports

 

ConsolidatorsConsolidators

20,000 locations worldwide

15,000 locations worldwide

10,245 locations worldwide3,348 in the US4,264 in the UK

3. Community Wireless Networks

Bryant Park, NY

Photo credit: Hope Hall

Photo credit: Hope Hall

Photo credit: Hope Hall

Photo credit: Hope Hall

Photo credit: Hope Hall

Photo credit: Hope Hall

Headquarters Wireless ISP Subscribers Communities served

Omaha, NE      SpeedNet Services, Inc. 7,000 235Prescott Valley, AZ  CommSpeed 4,579 -W. Des Moines, IA Prairie iNet 4,001 120Amarillo, TX AMA TechTel

Communications4,000 -

Erie, CO Mesa Networks 3,000 -Moscow, ID FirstStep Internet 2,709 16Lubbock, TX Blue Moon Solutions 2,000 -Owensboro, KY   Owensboro Municipal

Utilities1,550 -

Orem, UT Digis Networks  1,516 -Evergreen, CO wisperTEL  1,000 31Source: Broadband Wireless M agazine (at http://www.bbwexchange.com/top10wisps.asp, as of 2/23/05) and company data.

"Top 10" Wireless Internet Service Providers 

4. Wireless Internet Service Providers

Headquarters Wireless ISP Subscribers Communities served

Omaha, NE      SpeedNet Services, Inc. 7,000 235Prescott Valley, AZ  CommSpeed 4,579 -W. Des Moines, IA Prairie iNet 4,001 120Amarillo, TX AMA TechTel

Communications4,000 -

Erie, CO Mesa Networks 3,000 -Moscow, ID FirstStep Internet 2,709 16Lubbock, TX Blue Moon Solutions 2,000 -Owensboro, KY   Owensboro Municipal

Utilities1,550 -

Orem, UT Digis Networks  1,516 -Evergreen, CO wisperTEL  1,000 31Source: Broadband Wireless Magazine (at http://www.bbwexchange.com/top10wisps.asp, as of 2/23/05) and company data.

"Top 10" Wireless Internet Service Providers 

Prairie Inet

Photo credit: Hope Hall

Photo credit: Hope Hall

Photo credit: Hope Hall

Sidney, IL, May/June 2004: 47 nodes

Mapping: Christian Sandvig, UIUC

80 cities in June 200480 cities in June 2004Many in the planning stagesMany in the planning stages

5. Municipal Networks

Municipal Networks: Long Beach

Chaska.netChaska.net

City-owned ISP City-owned ISP Low-cost residential broadband Low-cost residential broadband

service service Public safety usePublic safety use Public works usePublic works use

Fully installed and operationalFully installed and operational Sixteen square mile coverage areaSixteen square mile coverage area 7,500 homes passed7,500 homes passed

1,500 subscribers signed (20% 1,500 subscribers signed (20% penetration) before network penetration) before network went livewent live

Source: Tropos Networks

San Mateo Police DepartmentSan Mateo Police Department Coverage in downtown and along Coverage in downtown and along

major thoroughfaremajor thoroughfare Wi-Fi enabled laptops in patrol carsWi-Fi enabled laptops in patrol cars Access to LAWNET, a county-wide Access to LAWNET, a county-wide

law enforcement Intranet law enforcement Intranet Amber Alert InformationAmber Alert Information Sex Offender DatabaseSex Offender Database CA Gang DatabaseCA Gang Database

DMV records, with high resolution DMV records, with high resolution photos photos

In-field photo lineupsIn-field photo lineups

Source: Tropos Networks

City of PhiladelphiaCity of Philadelphia

Source: Tropos Networks

Downtown hot zone for Downtown hot zone for freefree public Internet accesspublic Internet access

City exploring possibilty ofCity exploring possibilty ofcovering entire metro areacovering entire metro area

Cordless EthernetHomes & Campuses

Public Hotspot NetworksCafes, Airports, Truckstops

Community NetworksParks and Mountain-tops

Municipal NetworksDowntowns

Ad-hoc Mesh NetworksWherever there are enough devices

Wireless ISPsRural areas

Bottom-up InfrastructureBottom-up Infrastructure

Rapid growthRapid growthDecentralized infrastructure investmentDecentralized infrastructure investmentMultiple owners, multiple control patternsMultiple owners, multiple control patternsUnexpectedUnexpected