REGION A WIRELESS PROPAGATION STUDY SOUTHWEST COMMISSION, NC| OCTOBER 2019
Agenda ❑ Your Presenter ❑ Scope of Study ❑ Current Results ❑ Work in Process ❑ Conclusions 2 SWC NC - ECC TECHNOLOGIES
Your Presenter ▪ ECC Selected Clients ▪ Education ▪ The Southwest Commission ▪ ECU BSBA Accounting/Computer Sci. | NCSU MS Economics ▪ The Albemarle Commission ▪ Professional ▪ State of Georgia ▪ Ernst & Whinney ▪ Carroll EMC ▪ Sequent Computer Systems (IPO / IBM) [Large computer sys] ▪ Madison County, NY ▪ Vanguard Cellular (IP) / ATT) [Original cellular provider] ▪ Harnett County, NC ▪ The Southern Company [Fortune 50 energy company] ▪ Roanoke EMC ▪ GTE (pre-Verizon) [Wireless data – CDPD and 1G] ▪ Piedmont EMC ▪ BellSouth (ATT) [Strategic planning, e-biz, large biz] ▪ Tidewater EMC ▪ ITO [Start up wholesaler of comms. circuits] ▪ ECC Technologies ▪ EnergyUnited ▪ Flint Energies ▪ Selected Consulting ▪ Cowetta Fayetta EMC ▪ Charlotte Hornets ▪ MCNC Network ▪ Water Systems, Inc. ▪ Lumbee River EMC ▪ East Tennessee Brain & Spine ▪ The Southern Tier Network ▪ Palmetto Behavioral Health ▪ Waste Industries 3 SWC NC - ECC TECHNOLOGIES
Scope Items ▪ Identify areas of need using Phase 1 info ▪ Inventory vertical assets, map and identify ▪ Identify and map known fiber assets ▪ Conduct drive-by and visits on publicly owned vertical assets ▪ Contact asset owners ▪ Examine county tower ordinance s ▪ Identify RF frequencies in use ▪ Develop strategies for potential projects ▪ Present findings 4 SWC NC - ECC TECHNOLOGIES
ECC’s Responsibilities ❑ Execute to support the goals of the SouthWest Commission, which, in turn, aid each of the Counties. ❑ Support all viable, proven technologies. ❑ Support all proven, service providers. ❑ Support all voices in the community working together for broadband. ❑ Ensure focus is on information which is relevant, valuable and actionable. ❑ Continually ensure cost/value are parts of discussions. 5 SWC NC - ECC TECHNOLOGIES
Identify Areas of Need - 2017 BAAT ▪ Broadband Assessment & Aggregation Tool ▪ 4,689 residential responses ▪ 154 commercial responses Selected Download Rates 0 – 4 Mbps 4 – 10 Mbps 10 – 25 Mbps 25 – 50 Mbps 6 SWC NC - ECC TECHNOLOGIES
Identify Areas of Need Commercial Residential 7 SWC NC - ECC TECHNOLOGIES
2019 GREAT Grant Awards in SW NC ❑ Sky Wave ▪ Swain County ▪ Macon County ❑ Sky-Fi ▪ Jackson County ❑ Morris Broadband ▪ Macon County 8 SWC NC - ECC TECHNOLOGIES
Connect America Fund (CAF II) ❑ Shaded Blue Area is the eligible area ❑ Dark Blue is the funded areas 9 SWC NC - ECC TECHNOLOGIES
Fiber Advantages and Providers ❑ Unlimited Bandwidth ❑ Regional Fiber Providers ❑ Telecom Standard for Backbone ❑ BalsaamWest / MCNC Infrastructure between cities and ❑ North Georgia Network (NGN) communications towers ❑ Morris Broadband, Zito Media, Murphy CATV, ❑ Discrete / Independent Networks Cablevision and Northland ❑ Multiple Users – both service providers, public ❑ Incumbents organizations, enterprise and others ◦ AT&T ❑ Metro, Regional and Long haul ◦ Charter ❑ Ring Redundancy ◦ Frontier ◦ Windstream 10 SWC NC - ECC TECHNOLOGIES
Fiber Routes in SW North Carolina ❑ Sources of Information o GeoTel o Fiber Locator o ECC Field Study in Cherokee and Swain Counties o Provider websites 11 SWC NC - ECC TECHNOLOGIES
Inventory and Map Vertical Assets Over 400 records identified from 5 sources – with some duplications Sources County Information State FirstNet Database American Tower Crown Castle FCC Registration 12 SWC NC - ECC TECHNOLOGIES
Radio Propagation Samples ❑ Map is based on 477 Info and 2017 BAAT Survey ❑ Compare data and look for areas in need ❑ Towers were selected as examples 13 SWC NC - ECC TECHNOLOGIES
Propagation Mapping – Baseline ❑ Only Wireless Towers ▪ 70% height (approx. 40M) ▪ Various Tower Owners ▪ Attempted to evaluate other structures – tanks et al ❑ Radio ▪ Cambium PMP 450i ▪ Quality parameters – standard ❑ Antenna ▪ Gain 35 dbi ▪ Frequency 5,700 Mhz ▪ Tilt 4 degrees 14 SWC NC - ECC TECHNOLOGIES
Cherokee County – Sample Site 01 Fain Mtn Tower (Bill Forsyth) – Murphy, NC 15 SWC NC - ECC TECHNOLOGIES
Clay County – Sample Site 02 SBA Towers – Hayesville, NC 16 SWC NC - ECC TECHNOLOGIES
Graham County – Sample Site 03 Crown Castle – Robbinsville, NC 17 SWC NC - ECC TECHNOLOGIES
Haywood County – Sample Site 04 SBA Towers – Waynesville, NC 18 SWC NC - ECC TECHNOLOGIES
Jackson County – Sample Site 05 Crown Atlantic – Savannah, NC 19 SWC NC - ECC TECHNOLOGIES
Macon County – Sample Site 06 Crown Castle – Bryson City, NC 20 SWC NC - ECC TECHNOLOGIES
Swain County – Sample Site 07 SBA Towers – Nantahala, NC 21 SWC NC - ECC TECHNOLOGIES
Who Owns Towers in Western NC? ❑ Private – Tower Owners ▪ American Tower ▪ Crown Atlantic ▪ Crown Castle ▪ SBA ▪ Radio Stations ❑ Public – County, City, Town • Wireless and Water Tanks ❑ State – NC State Hwy Patrol VIPER System 22 SWC NC - ECC TECHNOLOGIES
Local Providers o Incumbents – ▪ AT&T, Charter, Frontier and Windstream typically will not do anything until competition forces them to improve service. o Alternative Providers - WISPs and others in the area o Sky-Fi – WISP in Jackson County o Sky Wave – WISP in Swain County o Sky Tech – WISP in Cherokee & parts of Clay Counties (River Street) o Skyrunner – WISP in Ashville Haywood and Jackson Counties o Zito Media - Corp in PA, landline provider in Graham and Swain Counties o Eastern Band of Cherokees Broadband – Wireless and land line provider in Swain and Jackson Counties o Morris Broadband – Land Line provider in Macon County, GA based company o BalsamWest – WISP and land line provider in Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson, Macon and Swain o NGN (BREMC) – Land line provider in Cherokee County 23 SWC NC - ECC TECHNOLOGIES
Understand Providers Perspective ❑ Network ❑ Cost to provide broadband: o Network management o Tower lease (RAD) o Network security o Tower climber o 24 x 7 availability o Cabling ❑ End User o RF equipment at the tower o Equipment o Switching equipment at the tower o Installation and configuration ▪ Lease space / power o Billing AND collection o Transport (circuit or dark fiber) o 24 x 7 network AND device support o Route to aggregation point o Dispatch if required o Route to peering point o Spares ❑ Purchase Network equipment ❑ Regulatory & Legal o Spares o Reporting o Repairs o Frequency Management o MTTR 24 SWC NC - ECC TECHNOLOGIES
Identify Frequencies Used 2.4 GHz Unlicensed PTMP 5 GHz Unlicensed PTMP and Backhauls PTP • • Frequency is saturated and unusable in most LOS only • areas for WISPs More spectrum than 3 GHz 2.5 GHz Licensed PTMP 11 GHz & 18 GHz Licensed Backhauls PTP • • Better choice for penetration, non line of sight Licenses are easily obtained • (NLOS) Great throughput, high reliability • Best performance due to no interference • Hardest license to get 24 Ghz Backhauls PTP • Unlicensed • 3.65 GHz License High throughput • • Nationwide licenses not being issued by FCC Suffer from possible rain fade so reliability is an • Better than 5 GHz for NLOS issue on longer links • • Available product lines utilizing LTE technology Low cost with best NLOS up to 3 miles in foliage 25 SWC NC - ECC TECHNOLOGIES
Fixed W/L Equipment Manufacturers Provider Manufacturer Cost Support Frequencies Baicells Medium Distributor 2.5, 3.5 and 5.8 (LTE) Ghz Cambium Medium Direct & Distributor 900 Mhz, 2, 3 and 5Ghz MikroTik Low Direct & Distributor 2.4 and 5 Ghz Mimosa Low Direct & Distributor 4.9 to 6.4 Ghz Radwin High Direct 2.x, 3.x, 4.9, 5.x, 6.4GHz Ubiquiti Low Distributor 900 Mhz, 2.4, 3 and 5 Ghz Telrad High Direct 2.3GHz, 2.5GHz, 3.5GHz(LTE) 5 Ghz ECC is asking each vendor to model the seven sites previously shown in this slide – preferably using their proprietary applications. This will allow a vendor, technology, topology, pricing and response comparison for the above listed companies. 26 SWC NC - ECC TECHNOLOGIES
Project Next Steps (WIP) ▪ Conduct drive by visits of public assets ▪ Continue to identify frequencies used ▪ Develop strategies for potential projects ▪ Set meetings with potential alternative providers • What are your plans for SWC? • Use BAAT with alternate providers ▪ Continue to meet with Counties and other interested parties ▪ Complete Phase 2 report and present findings 27 SWC NC - ECC TECHNOLOGIES
Next Steps ❑ Set a stairstep project plan to advance broadband ▪ Mitigate risk to the participants ▪ Understand the financial and operating constraints of providers ▪ Understand the current deployment environment ▪ Consider potential partners ❑ Consider opportunity to partner or participate in Grant applications ▪ County involvement only ▪ Service Provider ▪ Council of Government ▪ Golden Leaf ▪ Electric Cooperative ▪ Other entities such as an agricultural cooperative ▪ Consider the creation of a Cooperative to apply for Federal Grants from both USDA and the FCC 28 SWC NC - ECC TECHNOLOGIES
Questions! 29 SWC NC - ECC TECHNOLOGIES
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