Frequently Asked Questions about Wireless Silicon Valley
We haven’t heard much about Wireless Silicon Valley in a while. Is it still functioning?
What is Joint Venture’s role in the project?
Who is Covad Communications and what is their role in the San Carlos test network?
What role is Cisco Systems playing in the project?
What is Silicon Valley Metro Connect?
Isn’t Wi-Fi the wrong technology for this project?
How is the Wireless Silicon Valley model different from those of San Francisco and Philadelphia?
Why can’t every city do what Mountain View did?
When will the network be expanded to other cities?
Who is paying for the construction and operation of the network? The taxpayer?
Will I be able to use the network in my home and disconnect my wireline service?
We haven’t heard much about Wireless Silicon Valley in a while. Is it still functioning?
During much of 2007, Joint Venture and the members of the Wireless Silicon Valley task force were negotiating legal agreements with the members of the Silicon Valley Metro Connect team. The Metro Connect team was also looking for partners that could finance the construction of the network.
Covad Communications joined the team in early 2008 and began planning a test network in a 1 square mile area in the downtown and business district of the City of San Carlos. The Wireless Silicon Valley Task Force continues to meet monthly for updates on the project.
Joint Venture will issue updates on the project as milestones are achieved.
What is Joint Venture’s role in the project?
Joint Venture conceived of Wireless Silicon Valley and convened all of the Economic Development and Information Technology managers at the cities and counties in Silicon Valley to develop the vision and plan of action for Wireless Silicon Valley. We continue to play a key role in organizing the work of the Task Force, acting as a neutral broker for contract negotiations, and in disseminating progress reports to the media and the public.
Who is Covad Communications and what is their role in the San Carlos test network?
Covad (www.covad.com) was founded in San José in 1996 to provide broadband voice and data communications services to small and medium businesses nationwide.
Covad is using the test to validate the role of outdoor wireless mesh technologies, including Wi-FI, in its business model as a natural extension technology to better support the needs of its business customers. If the test is successful, Covad will be better able to expand its presence in teh Bay Area.
What role is Cisco Systems playing in the project?
As a member of Silicon Valley Metro Connect, Cisco is the designated supplier by the vendor team for the majority of the network equipment. They are also providing technical assistance to the project and supporting the design and construction of the test site in San Carlos.
What is Silicon Valley Metro Connect?
In April 2006, the Wireless Silicon Valley Task Force issued a Request for Proposals (RFP). After a careful review of the responses, the Task Force decided to accept the proposal from the Silicon Valley Metro Connect team and begin final negotiations. The founding members of Silicon Valley Metro Connect are Cisco, IBM, Azulstar and SeaKay. All of the members of the team are bound by the terms of their response to the RFP.
Isn’t Wi-Fi the wrong technology for this project?
The Wireless Silicon Valley Request for Proposal (RFP) and vision calls for using whatever technology is best for the job of building an outdoor wireless broadband network in Silicon Valley, and for updating the technology over time as better technologies reach the market. The RFP and Vision documents do not require the vendor team to use Wi-Fi, WiMax or any other technology for the network. Today, Wi-Fi is a fairly widespread and available technology because there are millions of computers in use with Wi-Fi built in. Wi-Fi phones are also on the market.
Covad plans to use several technologies including Wi-Fi and WiMax in their network. WiMax has a longer range and higher capacity than Wi-Fi. Today WiMax is commonly used to connect the wireless network to the trunk lines that carry Internet traffic all over the world. As WiMax is built into computers and other devices it will also become more common as an end user wireless technology.
The project vendors will be constantly evaluating technologies, and looking for the best combination of price, performance, reliability, and convenience.
How is the Wireless Silicon Valley model different from those of San Francisco and Philadelphia?
Unlike a number of wireless projects, Wireless Silicon Valley does not require the network operator to address social goals such as providing free access to low income communities or penetrating buildings to create competition for wireline broadband service providers. Such requirements add costs to the construction and operation of the network, and make it harder for the network operator to make a profit. We want the operator to make enough money from services to sustain a high quality business and keep investing in better technologies as they come to market.
A few wireless networks are based on the “anchor tenant” model, where a local government agency guarantees the operator a minimum revenue base per year. Our cities have said they can not commit to purchasing specific services until they have seen the network in operation. This is one of the reasons why the test site in San Carlos is so important to the project.
Unlike most other wireless projects, the addition of Covad Communications to the team provides us with a major network operator that has a robust communications infrastructure already in place. They will simply be adding ourdoor wireless technologies to their set of services.
Why can’t every city do what Mountain View did?
The Mountain View network was built by Google as a laboratory for new, web-based, services and as a donation to their community. It is our understanding that Google never had any intention of making enough money to cover the cost of operations.
When will the network be expanded to other cities?
Covad will consider the potential to expand the outdoor wireless broadband network based on the results of the test in San Carlos. If Covad decides to expand the network we anticipate that they will deploy the network first in the business districts of communities that appear to have the best markets for wireless services. At this time we can not estimate when the next phase will begin or which communities will be next on the list.
Who is paying for the construction and operation of the network? The taxpayer?
The Silicon Valley Metro Connect team is investing in the construction of the network. They plan to recoup their investment and cover the cost of operations by offering fee-based services to the small and medium sized business market as well as the Small Home Office (“SOHO”) business market. Taxpayers are not being asked to provide support to recoup the investment by the private companies.
Depending on the business model, Covad may offer services that go well beyond the business and small home office market. These services could include providing connectivity for nomadic business people and end user accounts in the areas with outdoor wireless services. The network may provide hosted applications offered by Application Service Providers (ASPs). The network might also offer applications that would support traffic signal synchronization to smooth traffic flows, automated meter reading for utilities, telephone services, wireless cameras for safety and security, secured services for emergency responders, and kiosks in bus stations that say which bus is arriving next and when. Each of these services can bring in revenues to support the cost of the network.
Depending on the results of its tests, Covad may choose to act as a wholesaler (as envisioned in the original Wireless Silicon Valley RFP) where they work with resellers and Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) to provide service to markets not addressed by Covad directly. This might include working with providers that use advertisers to create a free or highly discounted service that would include advertising messages.
Will I be able to use the network in my home and disconnect my wireline service?
The Silicon Valley Metro Connect team is working with several vendors to test equipmnent that is designed to bring the signal indoors. Covad will evaluate the costs and results of the San Carlos tests before making a decision on whether or not to offer indoor service.