Municipal wireless mesh networks as a competitive broadband delivery platform

Recently there has been a growing interest in deploying Wireless Mesh Networks by municipalities. This interest stems from the desire to provide broadband connectivity to users lacking access to broadband alternatives. The ubiquity of these networks will create more opportunities for new wireless-based applications and services that will generate revenue to the local businesses. The current plan is primarily focusing on the use of the WiFi, which was originally designed for indoor LAN applications operating in unlicensed spectrum. Also, the Municipalities claim that their main targets are Public Safety and the low-income neighborhood that cannot afford DSL or Cable broadband. There is a doubt, however, that the current plan will deliver on its promises in terms of coverage as well as cost. In this research, the goal is to first study the current business model for the current Municipal Wireless Mesh networks under deployment. As such, we will attempt to examine the networks under development in Brookline, Boston, Cambridge, and other cities in the US. We will also examine the technical limitations of these networks. This will lead us to suggest modifications to both the business model and a new system design. The goal for these modifications is to enhance the chance of these networks to succeed in the market place.

Department dc:contributor.department

System Design and Management Program.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2007

Author dc:creator

• Hassan-Ali, Mudhafar

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Michael Cusumano.

• System Design and Management Program.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/42357

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/42357