The Mercury News summarizes the proposals in the huge 1,500 square mile Silicon Valley Cloud, proposed by Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network. Seven companies submitted proposals.
Six of their proposals, some of which were redacted for public view, were released late Monday. Most submissions propose installing thousands of transceivers across the valley that would pick up and send data signals, using invisible radio waves, from computers to the Internet and vice versa. Here’s a look at six of the proposals. The seventh proposal, submitted by IBM, Azulstar and Cisco Systems is scheduled to be released today.
- Blue Horizon Group, of San Francisco
Their network: Blue Horizon’s network would provide free outdoor Internet access at speeds of 256 kilobits per second to 768 kilobits per second — roughly equivalent to home-DSL speeds. Customers indoors and outdoors could get faster speeds, 768 kb/sec to 1.5 Megabit/sec, by paying $9.95 a month.
Paying for it: In addition to subscription fees from regular consumers, Blue Horizon would charge government agencies for use of the network for municipal applications, such as police and fire communications. The network would use some advertising.
Of note: Blue Horizon Group says it wants to eventually build a wireless Internet network covering the entire state of California, and is in talks with Yahoo and Microsoft on whether they will sponsor the Silicon Valley-wide network.
- Community Wireless, of Palo Alto
Their network: Free, advertising-supported wireless Internet access in downtown areas; Advertising-free access in homes, with download speeds of up to 1 Mbit/sec for a subscription fee; access for local governments with download speeds of 1 to 2 Mbit/sec for a fee; access for small and medium-sized businesses, at similar speeds as for government, for a fee.
Paying for it: Community Wireless would provide hand-held computers that companies such as Yahoo, Google, eBay, Sony and Microsoft could give away or sell pre-loaded with software. Theses five companies could set the subscription terms for using the wireless network on the devices. Advertising could play a role in generating revenue.
Of note: Community Wireless says it wants its network to particularly serve young people between the ages of 12 and 21.
- MetroFi, of Mountain View
Their network: Free, advertising supported outdoor wireless Internet access, supported by advertising, with download speeds of 256 kilobits per second to 1 Megabit per second; ad-free, $19.95-per-month subscription-based service, offering the same download speeds outdoors and to homes; Local government can use the network for its purposes for a fee.
Paying for it: Advertising and fee-supported.
- NextWLAN, of Los Gatos
Their network: NextWLAN proposes homes, companies and government agencies could install small “micronode’; devices indoors that would create large wireless Internet zones that allow limited outdoor access nearby. Users could access the NextWLAN network for $4.95 per month. The micronodes would connect to DSL lines leased from a local telephone company.
Paying for it: Monthly subscriptions
- Fire2Wire and Ubiquity Broadband Communications, of Carmel and Salida, respectively
Their network: Free or subscription-based access for residents, business and government.
Paying for it: Subscriptions.
- VeriLAN, of Portland, Ore. Other companies, including Cisco Systems, are working with VeriLAN.
Their network: VeriLAN would build a wireless Internet network and lease it to other Internet service providers and companies wholesale. Those ISPs would then be on the hook to provide Internet access to residents.
Paying for it: VeriLAN has been in talks with Google, America Online and Microsoft to resell space on their proposed network.
Source: Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network
Developed jointly with the San Mateo County Telecommunications Authority, the network project will cover 36 cities and other entities from San Mateo to Gilroy. It could become the largest Internet “hot spot” in the country.
The ambitious plan to blanket Silicon Valley with wireless broadband is expected to dwarf San Francisco’s municipal Wi-Fi initiative, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Jointventure.org has The Vision paper (pdf) and the Request For Proposals.
Formed in 2004, the Wireless Silicon Valley Task Force consists of the Information Technology managers and economic development managers at most of the cities and counties in Silicon Valley. In 2005, the San Mateo County Telecommunications Authority joined the Task Force, bringing with it all of the cities in San Mateo County.
The proposed project (RFP) will unite cities in Santa Clara, San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties and stretch over 1,500 square miles when completed. Officials envision a primarily outdoor network that will benefit government workers, mobile corporate employees, residents and visitors in the greater Silicon Valley area. No public money will be used.
The Task Force believes it will enable business development, improve government services, include applications for public safety and emergency response, and fill in gaps to affordable broadband services. The RFP prefers an “open network model” that is privately owned and operated but provides access to multiple service providers.
Wireless Silicon Valley contracted with Intel Solution Services to provide assistance with the development of a Request for Proposal (RFP) for wireless services to cover all of Silicon Valley. The consulting team conducted a survey of the participating cities and counties to gather information on their expectations and requirements.
