What Does It Take to Set Up
A Successful Wireless NISP?

The most important thing it takes to set up a successful NISP is paying customers.

If you live in a neighborhood with no broadband DSL or cable modem connections, then you probably have a good idea about how the rest of your neighbors feel about the need for high-speed Internet connections, but it might be a good idea to ask some neighbors to see if they would actually pay $40-50 for high-speed Internet connections.

If you get a good response from your closest neighbors, next you need to plan on doing a formal survey of the area you want to serve before spending a penny of your own money on networking equipment or consulting services.

The easiest and most cost-effective way to determine this is to print up some door hangers with a marketing message that says some like this. "We are considering building a high-speed Internet network in this neighborhood. In order for us to pay for the network to pay for itself, we need to sign up at least 50 customers that will pay $40 a month for high-speed Internet connections. If you would like to sign up, please call this number, send an email to this email address or visit this website to sign up for service." You can download BWE’s Door Hanger Side 1 and Door Hanger Side 2 that we used to sign up customers for our network test of our NISP.

If you receive a minimal response, you need to give up the idea of building a NISP and look for another way to get high-speed Internet connections in your neighborhood.

However, if you get an overwhelming response, you should consider moving on to the next step.

Sometimes, future NISP operators live in neighborhoods that already have broadband Internet connections and only want to build a system in order to get a break on pricing for high-speed Internet access. If your neighborhood already has DSL or cable modem service available, you should not try to provide service there. Established broadband companies will have sufficient money to offer service price discounts on their service and offer prices so low that your company won’t be able to make money and will eventually go out of business. The problem is that when price is the only differentiator, customers usually migrate to the service with the lowest price.

If you live in an area that already has broadband Internet service, don't be discouraged. Almost every city in America has thousands of customers that would love to have a high-speed option in their neighborhood, but can’t get them. These pockets of customers that aren't served by DSL or cable modem service. All you have to do is find them.

It can be as simple as running a 2" x 2" advertisement in the local paper that says, “We build high-speed networks in neighborhoods that don't have broadband Internet connections. Please call us for a free quote.” You'd probably be surprised at how many calls you get from people that live near your area that still really want broadband connections and can't get them from anyone.

If you can’t find an area near you, you’re welcome to look up BWE’s Business Lead database, which has thousands of leads from people who have said they want to build a wireless network in their neighborhood. If you contact these leads, they would be more than happy to help you coordinate a wireless network being built in their area.

But if you are adamant about building a wireless network close to where you live, the next section shows you how to research your local market place and find areas that we call “Dark Zones,” where no broadband is currently available.