[frgeek-michiana] T1 lines for free???!
- From: Tom Brown <tbrown@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: FreeGeek Michiana <frgeek-michiana@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 04 May 2003 09:52:46 -0500
Rick "Draki" Hughes, MLUG vice pres., demo-ed Webmin at MLUG. As
interesting as the Webmin talk was, even more interesting were comments he
made later about his moonlighting job at Nibble Information Systems, Inc.
:: T1 for free
FG/M needs high speed access in our neighborhood labs in order to fulfill
our mission and advance our programs.
Nibble sells full T1 lines at a base rate of $400/month in So. Bend and
Mishawaka, $550/month in Elkhart, excluding circuit (local loop) charges.
There are no fractional lines, only full T1. Circuit charges are $125 -
$200 per month depending on location.
Even better than the low commercial rate is Nibble's offer to donate T1
services to any local private nonprofit organization *free of charge*,
excluding circuit charges.
Nibble has an agreement with SBC/Ameritech and operates only where SBC is
the local monopoly carrier. These offers may not be good outside St. Joseph
and Elkhart counties.
:: Wireless for free -- sort of, maybe
Even more promising than free T1 is an unpublicized, but apparently real,
program to lend organizations the wireless equipment necessary to create
wireless neighborhood fan outs from the Nibble T1 installations. Rick
believes the required minimum number of users to qualify for the program is
ten.
If Rick is right, FG/M can get a full T1 line into our labs for $200/month
or less per site. Then, if we can find 10 subscribers per site who will pay
$20/month, FG/M would get the use of a WAP broadcast antenna, base
amplifier of some kind and (10) D-Link PC wireless cards. The subscription
income would offset the monthly local loop charge. If FG/M signs up more
subscribers, we might be able to purchase the wireless equipment from
Nibble. If this works, FG/M would have a revenue stream to support the
organization and build the neighborhood wireless access that we envisioned.
There are four if clauses in the paragraph above. And more ifs implied in
the next.
The subscribers may have to commit to six months of service, make a deposit
on the equipment or otherwise prove trustworthy to receive the loaned
wireless cards. We may have to insure the gear against loss or damage. FG/M
will need a closet or room at the facilities for the wireless gear and
server(s). FG/M would do the marketing, invoicing, user installation and
support, and the system admin and maintenance. That's a lot of work and
expertise and ifs.
According to Rick Nibble, in the end, is just interested in providing
bandwidth. They are not interested in the ISP business per se. The company
is apparently willing to prime the pump and that is exactly the kind of
help we need.
I plan to contact Nibble on Monday. If Nibble is too good to be true, we
need to know right away.
Nibble Information Services
716 LWW
Osceola, IN 46561
(574) 674-2700
Tom
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