Wireless Category:
The stranglehold on the last mile is nothing new to any of us. There are a handful of companies that control the communications networks that connect our homes to the rest of the world and they, at their discretion, let us know when we need more bandwidth, better services, etc. Wait a minute… Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around? Since when is the customer on the outside looking in? But I digress…
What would happen if we figured out some way for every home in America to be a node facilitating the construction of a larger network owned solely and individually by the homeowner? As the network begins to grow, each node comes in contact with an adjacent node and another adjacent node and another adjacent node, until each home has formed an entirely new network in true mesh topology. Think of the possibilities such an infrastructure could create. If we’re all eventually connected, can’t we then just go around the monopolies and connect to each other without their oversight? What would be their purpose if such a network existed? There’s obviously some mixture of wired and wireless technology that would need to be involved in a project like this but it’s not out of the realm of the possibility. We’d also have to involve local and state governments but they work for us remember! We could effectively redefine what it means to be truly connected.
What we have pondered over the past few years is a way to make this type of scenario possible. A combination of wireless fiber products, mesh wireless products, other mesh wireless products, WiMax and some creative thinking should overcome current network obstacles. How about creating a company that’s sole purpose is to manage said network and that’s it? They wouldn’t provide any type of service on the network itself; they’d just provide the infrastructure. What if it was some type of consortium (maybe like UTOPIA) whose sole purpose would be to oversee operations and was specifically governed by network neutrality and forbidden from ever offering their own services over the network? We think that this type of setup would open entirely new business models for services we can’t even imagine and allow everyone, regardless of income level, to have access to everyone else, all the time.
I could go on all night about this particular topic and am happy to share the close to two years of research and ideas we have on the subject if you’d like. Just say the word.
We’ve had an idea for a while that just seems like a no-brainer to us, but then again we’re the ones who thought of it. I know that we can’t possibly be the only ones to have pondered the possibilities of the idea but we haven’t seen anyone else pushing for it here in Northeast Ohio. If someone else has, please let me know because I’d like to see it. First, a little background before I get to the idea.
The residential construction world seems to be focused on the Master Planned Community these days, whereby developers build not only homes but other commercial facilities to support the community as a whole. These types of communities are sprouting up all over the country and are huge investments for the developers, for business and for the local community. It’s amazing how many local and sometimes regional political battles are fought over how these communities are secured yet none of these communities include anything more than homes, the ever so hip lifestyle centers and basic commercial development, of which we see over and over and over again. Do these types of developments boost local economies and populations? Of course. Is there anything really different being done to increase these boosts even more? Not that I can see.
We live in the age of the cookie-cutter. “This One” is the same as “That One” which is the same as “The One They Developed Last Year” and “The One They have planned for Tomorrow”. Where’s the innovation? Anyone can throw up more shopping and expect to attract an influx of commerce, but what happens when there’s a new lifestyle center on every corner in every town? I don’t think I want to know… I can see the traffic now… What does your community have to offer that my current community doesn’t?
The nature of our business keeps us involved in such development projects around the clock for which we are eternally grateful; these projects keep our business alive. That being said, as a subcontractor we have little if any say in the planning that goes into these communities. We’re pretty much dealing with the builder and the homeowner and that’s it. While we feel that we’re pretty darn good at what we do, we know that we could help serve the builder, homeowner and the community better. This brings me back to the idea. Master Planned Technology Ready Communities.
Think for one second what it would be like to live in a community that had mobile broadband access everywhere. An entire community wired with fiber-optic cabling to every home and business. Access to control your home from anywhere on the Internet. Instant communication between homes and schools for homework and distance learning. A house that you move into and are instantly connected with work, your neighbors and the rest of the world, without lifting a finger.
These are just a few ideas of which none are new, but for some reason are not being included when master planned communities are developed. Think about the type of residents it would attract. Residents that would more than likely seek to start businesses within the community because they have access to so many resources already within their neighborhoods. No more brain drain. It would put that particular community on the map, no pun intended.
We want to help educate homeowners, developers and communities alike because we understand technology and the impact it can have when implemented in such a way. We want to partner with everyone involved in projects like this not only because it helps our business grow, but will help improve life for everyone around us; our family, friends, neighbors and customers. We love our community as much as we love technology and putting the two together is something that everyone could be proud of.
