The response to LI Biz Blog’s “LI Wi-Fi … A Tampa product” post was a resounding “What the heck?” It seems many think that it would have been the best and biggest bowl of sunshine if such an important local project fell on local shoulders. It makes me all fuzzy to think about.
But it didn’t, and Craig Plunkett, principal of communications company CEDX Corp. and co-founder of Fire Island Wireless, suggests any Long Island prospect that balked was most likely right to do so given the risk.
Plunkett in his blog explains how expensive it will be to build this network, not to mention the return on investment is quite lengthy.
From his post:
LIPA owns the poles, so e-Path has to rent space on the poles. If e-Path powers it’s nodes from photocell connections on the streetlights, then e-Path has to make agreements with the dozens of lighting districts on Long Island. If it buys the power from LIPA, it has to make power connections at each pole mounted. All this will be ridiculously expensive, and Keyspan’s fiber network is not particularly extensive, especially on the east end of long island. …
The local business community is pretty much pissed off that nobody local was picked, but I think everybody in this business locally was sure that the RFP as written wasn’t financially viable.
I read somewhere, quite recently, that the proposed user fee for this LI-wide “outdoor” (whatever that means) WiFi subscription would be $55/mo. How in heck is that supposed to sell when companies like Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile already provide open-air access on their cellular networks for $30-$50/mo? Do the County governments have their heads screwed on transversely or what?
We need a Company like Clearwire and their partners Intel and Motorola (and Google) to come in here and propose a viable network. I also learned that the reason that E-Path got the contract is because every other respondent left the table.
I do not know what is going on. Does anyone?