Start and Build a Successful Wireless Internet Service Provider (WISP) Business

A guide for WISP entrepreneur with a limited budget, limited time and limited technical knowledge.

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Preface - Page 8

1. The business of selling Internet access - Page 11

1.1. The Internet entrepreneur - Page 11
1.2. The Markets for Internet Services - Page 12
1.3. WISP and ISP services - Page 13
1.4. WISP fixed wireless broadband services - Page 14
1.5. WISP mobile wireless broadband services - Page 15
1.6. Identifying and qualifying a WISP business opportunity - Page 16
1.7. Branding the broadband Internet service - Page 17
1.8. Internet service sales and marketing techniques - Page 18
1.9. Mobile broadband subscription services - Page 19
1.10. Network infrastructure - Page 20
1.11. Structure of the WISP business - Page 20
1.12. Billing customers - Page 24
1.13. Additional services - Page 25
1.14. WISP business regulations - Page 25
1.15. Summary - Page 25

2. Network technology for start-up WISP's - Page 27

2.1. Data transmission over computer networks - Page 27
2.2. Wireless data network technologies - Page 34
2.3. Wireless WiFi network technology for WISP's - Page 38
2.4. Product technology for WISP wireless networks - Page 45
2.5. Fixed broadband Internet service - Page 47
2.6. Mobile broadband Internet service - Page 54
2.7. Locating and using the wireless access point - Page 59
2.8. Wireless access points and antennas - Page 61
2.9. Client premise equipment and antennas - Page 73
2.10. Point-to-point wireless links and antennas - Page 77
2.11. Requirements for wireless links, the Freznel Zone - Page 80
2.12. Network interconnection components - Page 81
2.13. Powering PtMP antenna locations - Page 88
2.14. Outdoor and remote equipment protection - Page 91
2.15. Antenna towers - Page 94
2.16. Plotting the area of PtMP tower coverage - Page 96
2.17. Contention ratio - Page 98
2.18. Network performance and failure monitoring - Page 100
2.19. Network congestion - Page 103
2.20. Radio frequency interference - Page 105
2.21. Summary - Page 107

3. Fixed and mobile broadband access control - Page 109

3.1. WISP Internet service provisioning and access control - Page 109
3.2. Fixed broadband subscriber access control process - Page 111
3.3. Fixed broadband subscriber authentication methods - Page 112
3.4. Fixed broadband customer rate plans - Page 114
3.5. Managing fixed broadband pre-post-pay access control - Page 115
3.6. Fixed broadband access control router at the NOC - Page 117
3.7. Fixed broadband access control router at the tower - Page 118
3.8. Fixed broadband access control PtMP wireless at the tower - Page 119
3.9. Fixed broadband access control CPE at the client premises - Page 120
3.10. Fixed broadband access control at the tower to eliminate the NOC - Page 121
3.11. Fixed broadband access control at the tower with a tower satellite backhaul - Page 122
3.12. Mobile broadband access control for pay-on-demand customers - Page 124
3.13. Mobile broadband authentication and customer activation for pay-on-demand - Page 125
3.14. Methods of selling pay-on-demand access codes for mobile broadband - Page 126
3.15. Security concerns with access control for mobile broadband - Page 130
3.16. Characteristics of routers used for access control - Page 131
3.17. Additional access control router traffic management features - Page 133
3.18. Summary - Page 135

4. WISP network design - Page 136

4.1. WISP network installation planning - Page 136
4.2. Network operation center (NOC) - Page 137
4.3. NOC systems integration - Page 139
4.4. Locating the point to multi-point antenna - Page 143
4.5. Point to multi-point installations in urban areas - Page 144
4.6. Point to multi-point when Internet is available at the location - Page 150
4.7. Networks in dense urban areas where LoS is limited - Page 152
4.8. Urban multi-residential and multi-office buildings - Page 154
4.9. Point to multi-point installations in rural areas - Page 157
4.10. Using a satellite connection as a NOC trunk circuit - Page 158
4.11. Distributed network design using cloud management - Page 160
4.12. Distributed network design access control solutions - Page 162
4.13. Adding redundancy to the network design - Page 164
4.14. Centralized vs. distributed network design, pros and cons - Page 168
4.15. Special requirements for business customers - Page 171
4.16. Summary - Page 172

5. WISP management functionality and systems - Page 173

5.1. WISP management systems overview - Page 173
5.2. Service rate plans - Page 180
5.3. WISP staff roles - Page 183
5.4. Management system processes - Page 185
5.5. Order entry, provisioning and activation - Page 191
5.6. Customer billing - Page 196
5.7. Network monitoring - Page 201
5.8. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) - Page 203
5.9. Access control router management system integration - Page 206
5.10. Summary - Page 209

6. Planning a WISP business start-up - Page 211

6.1. Considerations before starting a WISP business - Page 211
6.2. Estimate subscriber sales volume and income based on charge per subscriber - Page 211
6.3. Start-up costs - Page 214
6.4. On-going operating costs - Page 214
6.5. Cost to generate sales - Page 215
6.6. Profit or loss and investment amortization - Page 215
6.7. Scaling the business size - Page 216
6.8. Decisions about how the business will operate - Page 217
6.9. Investment and operating cost examples - Page 221
6.10. Preparing a WISP business plan - Page 223
6.11. Business plan contents - Page 225
6.12. Other business issues - Page 227
6.13. Summary - Page 229

7. Additional and third party services - Page 231

7.1. Opportunities for a WISP to increase revenue per customer - Page 231
7.2. Third party TV services - Page 231
7.3. Third party telephone services - Page 232
7.4. Third party security services - Page 233
7.5. Offsite data storage for business installations - Page 234
7.6. WiFi Hotspot services for business installations - Page 235
7.7. Other types of IT services the WISP can offer to businesses - Page 236
7.8. Summary - Page 236

8. Transition to a LEO satellite backhaul - Page 238

8.1. Supply and demand for Internet services - Page 238
8.2. Comparing geo-stationary and LEO satellite technologies - Page 240
8.3. Starlink technology - Page 243
8.4. Adding a LEO satellite backhaul to an operational WISP network - Page 251
8.5. A network design for the start-up WISP using Starlink - Page 254
8.6. WISP network administration using LEO satellite backhauls - page 257
8.7. New opportunities for WISP's that adopt LEO satellite services - Page 259
8.8. Summary - Page 261

9. A WISP start-up project - Page 262

9.1. A WISP start-up plan with limited investment and limited technical - Page 262
knowledge
9.2. The WISP business technical architecture - Page 263
9.3. Locating the PtMP tower and the NOC - Page 268
9.4. A startup WISP network design - Page 269
9.5. Transitioning the WISP network design to LEO satellites at a later date - Page 271
9.6. Choosing the WISP administration software - Page 272
9.7. Choosing the access control router - Page 276
9.8. Network build-out - Page 279
9.9. The WISP management system router interface - Page 283
9.10. Create a easyWISP management account - Page 285
9.11. WISP management system initial setup - Page 287
9.12. Add the rate plans - Page 291
9.13. Add subscribers - Page 293
9.14. Work orders for subscriber provisioning - Page 296
9.15. Managing the fixed broadband subscriber billing cycle - Page 298
9.16. Managing the mobile broadband on-demand billing - Page 300
9.17. Gateway configuration and traffic information - Page 302
9.18. Monitoring of network failures - Page 306
9.19. The subscribers view of the Internet service (the CRM portal) - Page 307
9.20. Helpdesk - Page 311
9.21. Add gateways: access control routers - Page 313
9.22. WISP business operations - Page 315
9.23. Summary - Page 320

Glossary of acronyms - Page 321
Product suppliers for WISP’s - Page 325
Figures - Page 329
Tables - Page 341
About the author - Page 343

Copyright © John D Barker 2022. All Rights Reserved.