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Last Mile, High Speed Help for Upper Michigan?

Posted by Cliff on from the broadband-for-rural-Michigan dept.

toaztke asks: "I've been charged with a quest by one of my employers. I am to sit on a regional committee and figure out how we can get high speed internet access all across Michigan's Upper Peninsula. For those of you not too familiar with the far north of this state one word can describe it all: 'rural'. So what I would like to know is if any Slashdot readers have any ideas/suggestions for me. Please send anything that crosses your mind my way. If you want more information on the project, just visit the Link UP website."

2 of 48 comments (clear)

  1. !Wires by Kevin+Stevens · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I am assuming by "rural," you are saying that there is no existing cable infastructure, and as such the cable company will be useless. I think you have two options here, either rely on satellite for "broadband" or, seriously think about implementing a large scale wireless network using authentication schemes to access the network. Any place that can recieve radio signals, (IE 99.9% of the populaion) can be hooked in. There are many areas around the nation that have set up community nets this way, fairly inexpensively.
    -k

  2. Re:A really big wireless network? by el+bastardo · · Score: 2, Interesting

    A wireless network will not, in all likelihood, work in da UP. Here's why:

    Trees.

    Millions and millions of trees.

    A huge part of the UP is national or state forest, and is *densely* forested, mostly with pines.

    Not to mention the geography. The western end of the UP in particular is very mountanious (OK, maybe hilly is a bit more accurate), and the mineral content of the rock is sky-high (lots of copper, iron, etc.), which wreaks absolute havoc with any kind of wireless signal (ever radio stinks up there, and don't get me started on cell-phone coverage). Since many of the towns are in valleys, wireless networks will have a lot of holes, even if you put a transmitter on every hilltop.

    DSL is probably the best bet, but the phone network up there isn't exactly stellar once you get outside the major towns (Marquette, Houghton/Hancock, the Soo). Not to mention that a lot of the smaller towns aren't even served by SBC/Ameritech (there are a bunch of small rural phone companies up there).