MuniWireless

Wireless Racine County (Wisconsin) announces the creation of a Broadband Solution Provider Consortium (BSPC) consisting initially of E-Vergent Wireless.com LLC, of Mount Pleasant, WI. and Midwest Fiber Networks LLC, of Milwaukee, WI.Wireless Racine County, Wisconsin is creating a Broadband Solution Provider Consortium for entities that want to deliver services to the community. The initial members of the consortium are E-Vergent Wireless.com LLC and Midwest Fiber Networks.

E-Vergent and Midwest Fiber Networks will each address separate elements of the network. E-Vergent currently operates a point-to-multi point Motorola Canopy fixed wireless network in parts of Racine and Kenosha Counties. Midwest Fiber Networks has dark fiber assets in both counties which it maintains as a Carrier Neutral Infrastructure. Both companies going forward plan to adhere to an Open Access Network design.

The teaming of two of the original respondents to the County’s request for business plan is a unique response to Racine County’s vision of becoming a wireless County. The representatives of both companies feel that this business arrangement works to the strengths of each company and allows other businesses to join the consortium to participate as the project rolls out over the next two years.

Members of the BSPC have agreed to exchange or otherwise make available to other members network elements desired or required for the deployment of County and Municipal government applications. Membership in the BSPC is open to any organization bringing valued network elements or applications to the communities, companies or residents of Southeastern Wisconsin.

Both members realize that there is still a lot of work to be done to secure access to assets in the communities. They are seeking funding from anchor customers, grants, and loans. They are also just beginning to integrate their ideas on network design, provisioning and interoperability. Their strength moving forward is that both firms have already secured business in Racine County as well as in Southeast Wisconsin. Once fully implemented, the vision is for the BSPC to provide services in multiple counties and communities throughout the Southeastern Wisconsin area.

The work that has been completed by E-Vergent to date is a partial response to the County Wireless Study. Information gathered by the study identified the areas in the County that are underserved by telephone companies and/or cable providers. In addition many residents have indicated to County leaders that they needed and wanted this type of broadband service for both their homes and businesses. In the rural areas of Racine County point-to-multi point connectivity has been mentioned frequently as a far more critical need than mobile access; which is generally available from multiple cellular companies.

Midwest Fiber Networks has been active in installing fiber in the more urban areas of Racine County to address a number of customer business needs with extra fiber being included for both wireless infrastructure and other fiber needs in the future.

Both members see Racine County as an integral part of their vision for a regional broadband network of the surrounding counties and municipalities.

[Text from press release]