Determining Community Wireless Feasibility
The community wireless project team needs to determine if the demand identified enables the community to build and sustain the network long term. The market analysis translates into a revenue model with revenue forecasts, and provides the basic technical requirements to determine network designs and technology selections. Design and technology choices determine capital and operating expense estimates for the network itself. Community wireless networks can sometimes utilize stakeholders' existing communications assets and infrastructure (i.e. fiber, antenna sites, etc.) which can significantly reduce capital expenses.
Administration determines a major expense component, and is largely determined by organizational structure and business model design. This involves many key choices, such as:
- Network ownership – Should the community build and own the network, or should it contract a service provider to build it and provide the necessary services?
- Network service model – Should one retail organization provide broadband wireless services, or should it be an open wholesale model, upon which multiple retail providers can deliver services?
- Public access – Should the network provide services to support local government services and stakeholder organizations, or should public access be made available?
- Governance – What level of public control and responsibility is required by the community? Does a critical mass of stakeholders exist to form a public-private partnership for this purpose?
- Funding – What sources of capital are available to the community, and what are the requirements to access them?
Additional factors also influence these choices, including legal and regulatory requirements, cost and security of capital, local politics, and the local competitive environment. Taken together, these items help the project team select the best organization and determine long term feasibility for delivering wireless services to the community.