[ILUG] Broadband venture

[Dermot McGahon]

Damian,

Just a few quick points:

* You'll need to incorporate for the Group Broadband scheme.
   That means limited company or co-operative. Shelf limited
   company might be cheap to setup, but remember that you are
   legally obliged to files accounts and so on. It's even more
   onerous for a co-op I am told.

* They will match funds, but you will have to provide the
   rest somehow.

It's certainly worth looking into, but just be aware that it
will be a lot of work and expense and nobody is guaranteeing
that your application will be successful.

On the technical side, there are solutions for just about
everything at some price point. A network of wireless
routers and access points, terminating at a leased line
is one option, but the leased line is going to be expensive.

If you could investigate where the nearest DSL is available,
and have a longer point-to-point wireless link from your
village to this location, linking to one or two 2Mbit DSLs,
you might be on to a more cost effective way of making this
happen.

Speak to the MidWest WAN people. There know what they are
doing and have built a decent network. They also understand
the commercial side of this.


Dermot.
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