PREAMBLE
The benefits of establishing a free, public internet gateway into Benton Harbor seem obvious and numerous. At it's most basic level, the ultimate goal of this project is simply to open the internet to those who might not have it.
In one sense, the internet is responsible for Benton Harbor's economic demise. Because of globalization, it's hard to realistically expect the return of a manufacturing based economy to our City, let alone our state or nation. Unskilled, manual labor is no longer a particularly viable career.
It's the author's opinion that long-term change can only be brought about then, through education and development of our school systems. Unfortunately, that is a project outside the scope of this proposal!
The internet opens a path out of Benton Harbor's economic woes, for any man, woman, or child who chooses to pursue it. It is essentially the largest University in the world, with the knowledge required for practically any career known to humankind freely available.
Of course, self-empowerment is neither simple nor easy, and much like a real University, self-discipline is the ultimate key. This is not a magic solution for all of Benton Harbor's woes, and in some sense, this project is about leading the horse to the water. At best, it could be the first step to significant change; at worst, another selling point for our community.
AN OPEN NETWORK
The question becomes, then, how do we go about creating a minimum, standard level of accessibility; how do we make an internet connection a right, not a privilege?
The networks already in place are built and run with profit in mind. They are run by corporations whose loyalties seem more dubious by the day, behind a shroud of proprietary secrecy. It seems fitting, especially in a community grappling with issues of trust, to establish a completely open network, accessible and accountable to all.
Free Open Source Software, FOSS, is one of the keystones of the modern internet. For example, some 50% of the world's webpages are displayed by a program called Apache. Users are free to download the code which makes up the program, to use it as-is, or to change it to suit their purposes.
The FOSS model is ideal for what we're trying to accomplish. Free and effective, but customizable to fit our exact needs. And by keeping the code we use public, there is no need for users to "trust" the network, because there are no secrets.
WIRELESS (WHY WI-FI?)
Modern networking is done in two ways: wires or radios. Telephones, Cable, Fiber Optics, DSL are all essentially wires strung from point to point. Though there are certain advantages to this approach, there are also extra costs - particularly in retrofitting an existing building or neighborhood.
Wireless networking on the other hand, is (to simplify a bit) nothing more than setting out a node at the edge of the network. This makes deploying a wireless network somewhat easier. [ The challenge then, is to build a network without gaps; an excellent example of this is your cell phone. ] And of course, there is the convenience to the user of not having to "plug in".
PUBLICITY AND THE PERCEPTION OF BENTON HARBOR
There is another, less tangible yet valuable benefit from building a wireless, FOSS network: it's cool and unique.
At a regional level, it makes for a clear, easy to market, attraction for our City. It helps us "sell" Benton Harbor, the burgeoning Arts District, and Michigan's GREAT Southwest to the rest of the state.
At a local level, it adds something to every local business trying to get people downtown. There's a reason why many are already offering WiFi! Most importantly, it helps shift public perception of our City away from it's shortcomings.
SUCCESS WHERE OTHERS HAVE FAILED
There are many large community networks running entirely on open software and hardware solutions. However, most networks in the United States are using proprietary solutions, built by companies trying to recoup their considerable initial expenses with hefty subscription fees.
Many of these networks are faltering under the weight of those deployment costs, and (particularly on tech-oriented sites such as slashdot.org) the world is taking notice.
By working on a smaller initial scale, and using open software, most of the initial costs will be time spent configuring our system, rather than money spent deploying proprietary equipment. We can create a modular, rapidly expandable, open and documented solution, to a challenge with global repurcussions.
This gives Benton Harbor a chance to really shine under an international spotlight. We can lead the horse to our City.
TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW & TENTATIVE BUDGET
The proposed solution is comprised of a two-tiered network. The backhaul tier would use radios operating on the 5.8ghz frequency, radiating outward from a central Network Operations Center (NOC), where the local network connects to the internet. The public tier, operating on the 2.4ghz frequency (traditional WiFi), would in turn radiate outward from the backhaul nodes.
Radio coverage is dependent on physical obstructions and terrain; it's difficult to determine exact limits from paper calculations. By very conservative estimates, the equipment below should cover a region including the City Center, the Arts District, Main and Market Streets, to the river on the West and Pipestone to the East. With some luck (or additional funding!), the network could easily grow to cover the entire city and beyond.
| Initial fees: | ||
| QTY | COST | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | $100 | Ubiquiti 5.8ghz NanoStations |
| 10 | $50 | Accton Mini-Router |
| 1 | $700 | NOC Server |
| 1 | $150 | 1000ft Outdoor Cat5E Cable |
| 1 | $150 | Crimpers, Connectors |
Total Installation Budget: $2000
Once the network is built and deployed, overhead is relatively low. The primary cost is the connection to the internet, or bandwidth. This is most likely to be purchased from AT&T in the form of T1 lines, to ensure quality service to all users.
The NOC needs be nothing more than a room with electricity, in a central building with roof access. The location also determines, to a certain extent, the cost of the bandwidth. Again, it should be noted that the numbers below are very conservative (high) estimates, to ensure the viability of the project.
| Recurring fees: | ||
| /YEAR | /MONTH | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|---|
| $4000 | $333 | Administration & Installation |
| $6000 | $500 | Bandwidth |
| $3000 | $250 | NOC Rent & Utilities |
Annual Operating Budget: $13,000
Total Grant Proposal: $15,000
BUSINESS MODEL & ECONOMIC RAMIFICATIONS
The budget outlined above has two serious weaknesses: It depends on annual funding to cover the bandwidth costs, and provides rather low compensation for the day to day administration of the network.
Rather than forming as a 501(c)(3), the grant money would be used to hire the services of a local for-profit company. By offering free service at a lower, capped service, and charging for a faster service comparable to Comcast or SBC, it is not unreasonable to consider that the network could be economically self-sustainable within a year.
This, importantly, would free up local non-profit resources for other projects in the future, and help boost Benton Harbor's economy by creating new, skilled jobs, paying rent to local owners, and taxes to the City.
At best, it could be the first step towards significant change in Michigan's GREAT Southwest.
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Thu Oct 16 01:48:57 2008
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