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Local GovernmentsLocal Governments should seek out their local EBS WiMAX Licensees
May 27, 2008
Brad Bowman – Program Director, Access Delray.org
As local governments start to migrate towards deploying 3.65 GHz WiMAX they should also seek out their local non-profits, school boards, or colleges to determine who leased out their community licensed 2.5GHz Educational Broadband Spectrum (EBS) to either Sprint Nextel or Clearwire.
You can perform a license search for your area here: http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/searchAdvanced.jsp
Scroll down to ‘Frequencies’ and select ‘Range’. Enter ‘2495’ to ‘2690’
Click on ‘GeoSearch’. Select your State and County. Hit search…
Questions for the non-profit EBS licensee:
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Why aren't we building the WiMAX network ourselves, establishing our footprint, core services/applications, infrastructure, and revenue/operating model, and then leasing to Sprint Nextel or Clearwire to offer fee based expanded services?
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If Sprint Nextel or Clearwire is building our network what part or how much of the community EBS spectrum will be available for local government and their communities to support their 3.65GHz WiMAXnetwork?
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What core municipal and community access and services are going to be available through the EBS spectrum to support us? (see list below)
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What CPE (customer premise equipment) will be required and who will we be able to purchase it from?
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How do you (EBS Licensee), Sprint Nextel or Clearwire plan to address the FCC rules on this lease in regards to:
- 5% of EBS licensee spectrum must be held by the licensee (what and how will this be used) and;
- Broadcast of 20 hours of educational “content” per week, per channel for the whole spectrum.
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What is the lease worth?
These are the types of questions that should have been asked by Boards of Trustees before they negotiated the lease deals that put this community asset on the chopping block for Sprint Nextel and Clearwire to fight over.
But now that Sprint Nextel and Clearwire have acquired 85%+ of these community assets they are going to attempt to blanket our cities and communities with coverage and pull every dollar possible from those cities, municipalities, and communities. These are questions that need to be asked now.
This scenario is scary as Sprint Nextel and Clearwire plan to be first-to-market with their EBS WiMAX. First-to-market will be, and has been the name of the game in the broadband wireless arena so major MSA’s (metropolitan service area), municipalities, and communities need to start addressing their broadband futures right now.
These non-profits were paid a lot of up-front monies and will be receiving monthly lease payments from Sprint Nextel and Clearwire so it is only fair that our municipalities and communities benefit (in some way) from this community asset.
Chances are, the above questions cannot be answered... and the answers to these questions will define the ability of cities, municipalities, and communities to define their own path to their broadband futures.
Breakout – Questions Explained
Why aren't we building the network ourselves, establishing our footprint, core services/applications, infrastructure, and revenue/operating model, and then leasing to Sprint Nextel or Clearwire to offer expanded services?
The advantages of EBS licensees building out their own core 2.5 network (in conjunction with their 3.65), infrastructure, and peripheral applications (public safety, municipal, community, etc) are endless. A few of the major points are:
- Greatly increases the value of the spectrum
- EBS licensees have much more control
- Promotes competition in the marketplace
If Sprint Nextel or Clearwire is building our network what part or how much of the community EBS spectrum will be available for local government and their communities to support their 3.65GHz WiMAX network?
This is to ensure that the needs of the cities, municipalities, and communities (within the 35 mile radius coverage area) were addressed prior to signing off on the lease. This question should also lead to a plan for seamless operation between city 3.65 and 2.5 EBS.
What core municipal and community access and services are going to be available through the EBS spectrum to support us?
Core Services and Applications
- Enhanced public safety, first responder applications
- Municipal departmental applications
- Low cost / free core internet/network access (3-5mps)
- Digital Access, Inclusion, Literacy programs
- Economic stimulus
- Health and financial services
- Public access television
- Public utilities
- Local business internet marketing services, residential, and community portals
- Deploy New Energy Technologies / Energy Management Services (EMS) / Green Initiatives
- School system access / Educational tools
- Public employee services
- VPN’s / VAR’s / Resellers
- Employer Outreach / Distance Learning & Training / Job Creation
- Visitor Services / Hospitality Packages
- Private security / video surveillance / DVR access
- Digital connectors programs
These are necessary core services and applications that should be provided by local government through their 3.65GHz and 2.5 GHz WiMax network.
What WiMAX CPE (customer premise equipment) will be required and who will we be able to purchase it from?
This will tell you as to whether or not Sprint Nextel and Clearwire are planning to go after core services and applications. They will more than likely be OEM through AirSpan, Alvarion, Aperto, Redline, or Solectek and these are the same manufacturers that will be building out your 3.65 WiMAXcity network. So why not build out the 2.5 at the same time?
How do you (EBS Licensee), Sprint Nextel or Clearwire plan to address the FCC rules on this lease in regards to:
- 5% of EBS licensee spectrum must be held by the licensee (what and how will this be used) and;
- Broadcast of 20 hours of educational “content” per week, per channel for the whole spectrum.
This is a concern and may represent some leverage available to EBS licensees desiring to address municipal or community needs as well as building out there own 2.5 networks. How will this be policed?
What is the lease worth?
Upfront monies paid to the EBS licensee, monthly lease payments, and term (usually 15-30 years!)
Other papers:
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