Dummerston 5/17/06 meeting notes: 6 PM to 8:30 PM by Steve Bissette with some corrections by Jim Mahoney Attending (please correct spelling of names): Tom Bodett (Dummerston) Doug Wellman (Brookline) Norman Solomon (Brookline) Stephen Bissette (Marlboro) Kevin Ryan (Dummerston) Jodi French (Newfane) Walter French (Newfane) Tom Lowell (Sunset Lake Rd) Greg Scragg (corner of Newfane/Dummerston/Marlboro) Hector Galbraith (Dummerston) Jim Mahoney (Marlboro) Reg Rockefeller (Dummerston) Lee Brady (East Putney) Tim Flesher (Putney; LastMileNet) Jakob Ragnarssson (Brookline) Judi Ragnarsson (Brookline) Regina Rockefeller (Putney) The meeting opened with Tim Flesher of LastMileNet discussing the basic technical issues. In short: 1. In transmitting broadband internet, there is only one frequency of use in rural VT (due to the lack of clear line-of-sight in most areas). 2. A tower with a radio antennae (a two-to-four foot aluminum antennae roughly the diameter of a broomstick) can transmit to 20-30 houses, under the best conditions. 3. The minimum service available thus transmits about 384 kilobytes a second; the maximum up to a full megabyte. This provides fully synchronized uploads and downloads. 4. The approximate costs/fees: a. The T1 line is $450 a month. b. The tower and antennae assembly runs between $5000-6000. c. The necessary in-house setup is a minimum of $300 per customer site. Given this, with 20-30 customers served at the most, this model is clearly not profitable. The recurring monthly cost of the T1 line and cost of installations present the primary obstacles. Tim then discussed the Stamford, VT model -- a buyer's club/co-op -- which utilizes a network of transmitters and repeaters (note that Stamford was refused the VT state grant, though they applied twice). This might be applicable to portions of the five-town area, using a similar network of transmitters stationed at the key high points that could see each other. The infrastructure expenses would be high, representing a $40,000-50,000 investment. No VT state grants have yet been granted in Windham County. Public/private ownership is what is needed. ___ Tom Lowell then presented his 2 page handout Broadband on the Hill: A Compilation... of information from various sources (see handout), based upon his investigation with Tim Flesher of a possible site location east of Sunset Lake. He also noted his Bellows Falls business would have had to fill out extensive Verizon application forms and pay $432 per month for a T1 line (Tom declined). In summary, Tom believes installing an antennae and transmitter thereabouts would be viable and provide coverage to about 20 customers; assuming 20 customers minimum, it will take 5 years to recover the initial $20,000 investment at a little less than $50 per month (approx.) cost to each household involved. However, SIGNAL STRENGTH MAPPING of the relevent locations is necessary, a process that could cost up to $2000-3000 per town/area. ___ Limitations: * MAINTENANCE fees -- of perhaps as much as $100 per month (individually or the total group?) would be necessary. * There are physical limitations of frequency that would limit available services. For instance, VOICEOVER IP WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE. Limitations on this and other services that would unduly burden the systems would have to be imposed. * ELECTRICITY and a T1 line would have to be available to every transmission site/antennae. * Act 250 does not permit any tower or antennae installation to extend more than 25 feet above any existing structure. * Upgrading these systems, as broadband technologies and services continue to expand, could/would be problematic. ___ The following was also discussed: * At present, VT offers only four grants per year, though there are 50 or more applications annually. * Verizon's property tax exemption for power lines requires exploration and further research; is this relevent or of use? * Verizon's announced broadband by 2010 is compromised by their recent announcement (the week of May 11) that they are seeking to sell Northeast lines. * It's likely that a Multi-Node Network will be necessary to serve multiple towns and villages. * To this end, it is important to also investigate other options, including the possibility that LastMileNet may not be able to serve all in the cooperative. Investigation/inquiries of other firms (Optima, etc.) is advised. * Tom Bodett asked, Does an area cooperative make sense? The consensus of the group is Ôyes,' with discussion of the different path (the cooperative will not split as each participating town or individual receives service) this represents: collective will indicates the cooperative is the route to take. * Relevent to the above, Jodi French addressed the necessary steps in forming a cooperative and the state papers that need to be filed; she and her husband Walter volunteered to spearhead that effort, when the time is proper to proceed. * Norman Solomon raised the point about at least two VT power companies which proposed (passed?) proposals to bring broadband access to their customers via existing powerlines, and it was noted that this model is being tested in Maryland and Ohio. Further research is necessary. * Various catalysts -- initial sites and system installations -- were vigorously discussed. Hector Galbraith noted the geography favored servicing certain areas of Dummerston along the river before others, while Norman Solomon and Doug Wellman noted Brookline could pursue some form of installation soon (I didn't get the details clearly enough for this writing). Tom Lowell noted his willingness to actively pursue the funding and installation of the proposed tower/antennae detailed in his handout. Thus, three possibilities were discussed, with any one perhaps serving as a viable starting point for the project; how to proceed, and where? ___ IN CONCLUSION: Thus, the group decided the following: 1. An area cooperative, comprised of the five towns represented by the group -- Dummerston, Newfane, Putney, Brookline, and Marlboro -- was to be formed. This cooperative would create the necessary infrastructure to bring high-speed internet access to all five towns, with the most expansive and/or complete coverage possible. 2. However, the group would launch the collective effort with at least one of each town Ôrepresentative' present taking on the task of SIGNAL STRENGTH MAPPING their town, to determine the following: a. What areas of each town presently do NOT have broadband internet access/coverage. b. Where are the ideal sites are to provide the broadest and most complete access/coverage. * To this end, each 'representative' will obtain the 9-1-1 Atlas mapping for their town. Using this map, and the necessary research in their community, they then determine where there IS DSL coverage, and where there is NOT, and then indicate (by whatever means: colored marker, etc.) where there is NO coverage. A count must then be taken of the houses/businesses lacking high-speed internet access (see today's earlier email for details and procedures). * Once the regions lacking coverage have been mapped and needed statistics have been determined, this information and/or mapping will be combined with available GIS topographical mapping of each town. (The means of doing this was discussed; Jim Mahoney volunteered to discuss/work with Jeff Nugent of the Windham Regional Planning Commission, and other possible strategies were briefly touched upon.) * Once this is accomplished, the SIGNAL STRENGTH MAPPING and determination of likely/viable transmission sites can proceed. This may cost $2000-3000 per town; this has yet to be determined, though clearly some form of funding will be necessary to complete this essential process. This may also require the involvement of multiple potential service providers (e.g., LastMileNet, Optima, etc.). * Once the SIGNAL STRENGTH MAPPING has been completed, it will then be possible and necessary to prepare some form of cost and investment analysis. The goal here is to establish a realistic threshold of cost, preferably a Ôper household' cost threshold. * Hector Galbraith asked in conclusion, regarding the application for state grants or any procedure involving the state, How much precision do we need for the state? The participants agreed to meet again in ONE MONTH, hopefully with progress on many of the points above, the mapping process above all. (Note: Tom Bodett has already proposed a Wed June 14th meeting date; to be settled upon ASAP.) (Addendum: The proposed meeting date is now Thur June 15.)