bandwidth...massive kind, like DS3...

[Journer]

is it possible to get a giant pipeline such as a DS3 or equivalent to a residential home? How much do they cost /mo? what are the limitations of the technology...

if you cant get in residential...what are limitations as far as businesses go...i think it would be kick as to be a WISP...can you just order a phat pipe...setup a network...and start taking in customers?

 

[jcmuse]

no.

 

[spidey07]

i don't see why not. They would probably have the facilities to provide it to you.

The cost depends on how much they have to build to get it to you and how long you contract for the service. Expect 10-30K a month.

 

[networkman]

Sure, it really just comes down to a few things:

a) Money
b) Location/provider
c) Contract

And the answer is: d) All of the above.

 

[spudstr]

sure you can, a DS3 would run you around 4500/month And thats only 45Mbps.. Why not just get the highest Verizon Fios for what 300/month? isn't that like 30mbps down?

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: spudstr
sure you can, a DS3 would run you around 4500/month And thats only 45Mbps.. Why not just get the highest Verizon Fios for what 300/month? isn't that like 30mbps down?

Agreed. You would msot likely be violating the TOS though, and for that 4500/month your SLA is going to be paper thin.

Hell, T1's are still expensive as well.

 

[cmetz]

Journer, it depends on your LEC and state tariffs. My understanding is that a T1 can be delivered anywhere the LEC serves. T3 and SONET I think also can be delivered anywhere.

HOWEVER, you can and probably will be charged what the LEC calls "special construction costs" - that is, they'll provide you the service anywhere you want, but you will pay for all of the costs associated with bringing that service to your location. For DS3 up, this basically means trenching fiber and installing a SONET MUX at your location. Special construction costs in the 5-6 figures are common. If you sign a long-term contract, they may roll some of those costs into your monthly charge. One way or another, you will pay for those costs.

I've never tried to order >T1 to a residence before, it would not surprise me if there are zoning restrictions on what services are offerred, that is, it would not surprise me if they don't have to deliver >=DS3 services to residentially zoned areas, only commercial/industrial. I know I'd write that into the tariff if it were my call. LECs generally don't have the necessary infrastructure anywhere near a residential area. This is why FIOS/PON is such a big deal - telcos generally don't run fiber anywhere near your house; you're darn lucky if they run it to your neighborhood.

As a business, you really want to get your office space in a building that is already served by fiber to the basement. Better yet if there are a few fiber providers in the building, like your LEC and at least one dark-fiber or metro-fiber provider.

Incidentally, if you want big bandwidth, the cheapest way to get it is to be in a provider-neutral data center. Remember that ordering a DS3 circuit from your LEC just gets you a line, not Internet access - that's extra, and not a small bit extra either.

Finally, being an ISP is harder than it looks. Remember all the small ISPs from the bubble? Where are they now? The ones that survived mostly got eaten up by telcos or cable cos, there are very few indepdendent ISPs left. This is not a coincidence. Every time I've helped someone look at the business case for getting into the ISP business, the result has been the same - it's a bad business decision.

 

[Genx87]

Yeah I can see the ISP business being rough. Most people dont care enough about their ISP to shop it. They order cable from their telco or cable and use them because it is more simple.

 

[nweaver]

the difference between big box ISP's and a WISP is availability. I moved to the boonies, and had 1 option, a WISP. I now help that wisp on the side (for free access) and can tell you that if they don't want us, they go to dialup or sat.

Of course, this guy is dang freaking honest...400Kb/s wireless (and that's ACTUAL SPEED, you get that or better 80%> of the time) for $30, $150 install fee is pretty darn decent deal considering he's the only player in the market.

 

[mikeford]

Sheesh, I R a WISP, $5 + $8 S&H via fon.com.

Years ago I remember that Ron Howard had OC3 to his house to digitally transfer movie stuff like dailies so he could watch/edt/etc at home with the family.

Do a business acct with a cabletv ISP and you might have HUGE bandwidth available with a self hookup to existing wiring.

 

[Journer]

hmmm...FIOS isnt availiable in our area...the reason i was thinkin of this is b/c everyone in my neighborhood (40 homes) HATES our only two ISPs (comcast, bellsouth) and they always talk to me about alternate solutions...ALSO we get a lot of gameday traffic (college town) and if i setup a system like they have at airports...these rich RV folks would definitly use it...im not serriously considering it bcuz i dont have the capitol...was just interested in the #s

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: Journer
hmmm...FIOS isnt availiable in our area...the reason i was thinkin of this is b/c everyone in my neighborhood (40 homes) HATES our only two ISPs (comcast, bellsouth) and they always talk to me about alternate solutions...ALSO we get a lot of gameday traffic (college town) and if i setup a system like they have at airports...these rich RV folks would definitly use it...im not serriously considering it bcuz i dont have the capitol...was just interested in the #s

those lines usually havea TOS that forbids reslling it; Even the business plans have similar restrictions.