wisp configurations

As a start-up wisp we thought it would be helpful to us and other startups to see how other canopy users are configured.
Info such as telco connections tower companies/cost (who is easy to work with?), T1’s-DS3 and how many/per subs, routers, addressing schemes from cmm-ap-sm. nat non-nat. use of small routers on sm side. enduser pricing, setup cost. whether leasing sm’s or selling. Yeah I know i am looking for free and easy info from the hard work others have put into their systems when they started, but in the long run it could help all, and many Thanks to all that provide some info.

We’re using 5.2ghz Canopy units as micro-cells off of our existing Trango 5.8ghz system. We lucked out and have a clear ~15 mile shot from our main tower to the roof of our dialup backbone provider. They agreed to allow us space on their roof for an antenna (a RedLine AN-50) so we’re pumping ~6Mbps directly to our tower. This allows us to purchase bandwidth for next to nothing. For the Canopy micro-cells, we’re using just a single AP unit with an omni. We’re currently servicing nearly 200 customers off of that 6Mbps connection without anyone complaining of speed problems. The nice part about using a wireless backbone directly to our provider is that if we need more bandwidth, all it takes is a phone call, no waiting for new lines to be provisioned, dealing with telcos, etc…

You can check out our pricing points at http://www.infostations.com/?disp=wireless. We’re competing head-to-head with DSL and Cable providers in the area. We’re using custom bandwidth shaping tools on our linux routers to provide the speeds listed (mostly just cutting back on the upload).

We use fiber terminated in shacks throughout several areas. BH sends the data to a tower located up to 10 miles form the fiber point and then we distribute from that location in an 18 mile radius.
All data flows to the fiber and then to our headend and then out fiber (Inet backbone)
We run either 20 or 45 BH to service each zone of 50 to 600 subs.