Broadband Without Borders A regional last mile solution Hybrid - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

“Broadband Without Borders” A regional last mile solution Hybrid broadband presentation of January 19, 2018

Serving 50+ towns in NH, MA & VT • 2007 – Wireless co. launches via economic development grant • 2010 – Service in 25+ towns • 2012 – Launched digital phone solutions • 2013 – First provider on NH FastRoads fiber • 2014 – 100% of FastRoads homes & 50% of businesses • 2015 – MBI / hybrid pilot • 2016 – Acquired Radius North wireless assets “Your local provider for broadband solutions” Hybrid broadband presentation of January 19, 2018

Project leaders Brian Foucher • WiValley Founder and President • Prior manager of business development and customer service • Systems engineer experienced in electronics, marketing, and power systems Fred Goldstein • Principal of Interisle Consulting Group • 40+ years consulting to telecom, Internet, and wireless industries • Key member of MassBroadband 123 grant team • Did planning grant designs for several MA towns; similar studies in NH • FCC Technical Consultant to Wireless ISP Association Hybrid broadband presentation of January 19, 2018

Proposed regional* network  100% funded by town broadband grants  Minimum of 96% of homes & businesses served  No town tax support, funding authorization or financial risk  No initial signup or installation fees  No subscriber financing or hidden costs  Rates lower than all-fiber proposals  25/5 Mbps service to 75% of homes (min 12/2 Mbps)  Public owns network infrastructure *Contiguous towns of Florida, Hawley, Monroe & Savoy. Also, separate solutions for Middlefield and Worthington. Hybrid broadband presentation of January 19, 2018

Cross-border connectivity Connecting across town lines provides:  Construction economies  Service efficiency  Lower backhaul costs  Reliable service via redundant paths Hybrid broadband presentation of January 19, 2018

Competitive broadband rates Monthly fees (fiber or wireless):*  12/2 Mbps: $59.95  25/5 Mbps: $69.95  50/10 Mbps: $79.95  100/20 Mbps: $119.95  Unlimited Phone: $24.99  Home Wi-Fi: $0 – free * Wireless speeds depend on foliage & terrain Hybrid broadband presentation of January 19, 2018

21 st century wireless advances Wireless performance up 10-fold over last 10 years:  Gen 1 (2000-2005): <10 Mbps, expensive  Gen 2 (2005-2009): 10-50 Mbps using WiFi chips, inexpensive  Gen 3 (2010-2017): 25-100 Mbps using enhanced WiFi chips & 2 antennas, inexpensive  Gen 4 (2017-): 100-500 Mbps, initially expensive “massive” MU-MIMO, 4+ antennas, beam-steering  Also (2017-): 60 GHz for fiber-like speeds, short line- of-sight, inexpensive Hybrid broadband presentation of January 19, 2018

The fiber side of hybrid  WiValley would quickly deploy wireless at no cost to the towns.*  Remaining grant allocations (and future funds) could be for phase II fiber deployments.  Unresolved fiber issues include lawsuits & overlashing MassBroadband 123.  Future fiber customers can initially subscribe to wireless. *In 2018, given spring 2018 approval. Hybrid broadband presentation of January 19, 2018

Public ownership guarantee As the network is 100% publicly funded, the public should have 100% control of the infrastructure: • Towns will own new network poles and towers. • MassBroadband 123 will own fiber, with Indefeasible Rights of Use on sufficient strands to WiValley and any successor. • Public option to buy the entire network after 3 years. Hybrid broadband presentation of January 19, 2018

Project responsibilities WiValley: own* & manage Towns: State: collaborate funding & with oversight WiValley * Towns & state own vertical assets & fiber Hybrid broadband presentation of January 19, 2018

Summary of benefits • Regional broadband network • Fully funded by state grants • Minimum 96% coverage • Lower rates w/no initial signup fees • Public ownership guarantee • Scheduled 2018 wireless completion Hybrid broadband presentation of January 19, 2018

Questions? Hybrid broadband presentation of January 19, 2018