How do I become an internet reseller (Rural WISP)

Forums › New Zealand Broadband › How do I become an internet reseller (Rural WISP)

Kieran6704

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#303825 11-Mar-2023 22:39

Hi I just want to know what are the best companies to go through, the logistics and prices and stuff to become a small rural Wisp, I can't seem to find any information online about it and would like to hear from some people that probably have already gone through it and know the ins and the outs

Cheers

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#3049134 12-Mar-2023 07:22

what are you trying to achieve, ie more details

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raytaylor

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#3051663 18-Mar-2023 19:22

You need to contact Vodafone Infrastructure Partners or Spark Wholesale

Be prepared for big startup costs, in an already saturated market.

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quickymart

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#3051676 18-Mar-2023 20:31

Are you in a poorly serviced area? Is this why you're looking to start one up?

hsvhel

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#3051678 18-Mar-2023 20:35

If you have to ask........

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toejam316

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#3051701 18-Mar-2023 22:25

If you have the capital, it'd probably make more sense to find a WISP nearby and come to an arrangement to invest in their existing business and expand into the area you're thinking about targeting.

Anything I say is the ramblings of an ill informed, opinionated so-and-so, and not representative of any of my past, present or future employers, and is also probably best disregarded.

Azzura

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#3051722 19-Mar-2023 07:46

raytaylor:

You need to contact Vodafone Infrastructure Partners or Spark Wholesale

Be prepared for big startup costs, in an already saturated market.

When you say Big start-up costs - are we talking 6 figures? Or 5 figures? or less.... how much approximately?

Are the expenses for a big start-up due to equipment purchases or due to expenses charged by Spark Wholesale?

toejam316

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#3051724 19-Mar-2023 08:00

How long is a piece of string? If you want to start a WISP, you have all the costs of establishing an ISP, alongside the costs of getting the hardware to build out PTMP links and a tower. Assuming you get an agreement going with someone with Fibre access at their property for your backhaul, then build a single tower to service your customer base, I'd estimate you'd be looking at probably anywhere from 30-60k depending on the size of your footprint, although grain of salt as it's been 3 years since I've been involved in building a WISP PoP. Plus you have the cost of setting up a radius server, billing system, etc., it's a lot of outlay and if you don't have a budget in the low six figures, I wouldn't attempt it. And all of that is assuming you have the skills to implement everything - in reality people who can build out a full network, end to end, aren't super common. You'll probably be hiring contractors or an FTE, which will pump up your costs further.

Find the local WISP in or near your area, ask them if they'd be open to you investing in their company or helping you establish a tower and your own company, while reselling their back end. Get anti-competes in place. Don't expect to make money, especially given Starlink is there to eat your lunch.

Anything I say is the ramblings of an ill informed, opinionated so-and-so, and not representative of any of my past, present or future employers, and is also probably best disregarded.

quickymart

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#3051728 19-Mar-2023 08:43

Already discussed here as well.

https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=49&topicid=271699

While this young guy had a few grand ideas, I note that his coverage footprint hasn't increased at all since the above thread was posted. The coverage map could be out-of-date, however.

Azzura

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#3051733 19-Mar-2023 09:18

toejam316:

How long is a piece of string? If you want to start a WISP, you have all the costs of establishing an ISP, alongside the costs of getting the hardware to build out PTMP links and a tower. Assuming you get an agreement going with someone with Fibre access at their property for your backhaul, then build a single tower to service your customer base, I'd estimate you'd be looking at probably anywhere from 30-60k depending on the size of your footprint, although grain of salt as it's been 3 years since I've been involved in building a WISP PoP. Plus you have the cost of setting up a radius server, billing system, etc., it's a lot of outlay and if you don't have a budget in the low six figures, I wouldn't attempt it. And all of that is assuming you have the skills to implement everything - in reality people who can build out a full network, end to end, aren't super common. You'll probably be hiring contractors or an FTE, which will pump up your costs further.

Find the local WISP in or near your area, ask them if they'd be open to you investing in their company or helping you establish a tower and your own company, while reselling their back end. Get anti-competes in place. Don't expect to make money, especially given Starlink is there to eat your lunch.

Thanks for the information.

"getting the hardware to build out PTMP links and a tower." ---- Already built and done.

"Assuming you get an agreement going with someone with Fibre access at their property for your backhaul" ---- I already have that.

"single tower to service your customer base" --- I already have that too.

"setting up a radius server"- This could take some doing but I have old friends that work with Bell Canada and at one time were running their own ISP before getting bought out by Bell.

The footprint area is my neighbors.....they keep asking me to share my internet with them (they said they'd be happy to pay). I tell them....well if I could do it legally as something like a local small WISP...I would gladly do it.---but it might still not be doable....idk.

toejam316

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#3051734 19-Mar-2023 09:22

How many neighbours do you have? You might just be better off finding a provider that allows reselling network access, or contacting one to make sure you're within the ToS to do so, and then sign up with them. You sorta buried the lede with your OP and Title, I don't think you'd want to go full on ISP, but just a formal agreement for your neighbours to pay for access?

Anything I say is the ramblings of an ill informed, opinionated so-and-so, and not representative of any of my past, present or future employers, and is also probably best disregarded.

Azzura

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#3051737 19-Mar-2023 09:44

toejam316:

How many neighbours do you have? You might just be better off finding a provider that allows reselling network access, or contacting one to make sure you're within the ToS to do so, and then sign up with them. You sorta buried the lede with your OP and Title, I don't think you'd want to go full on ISP, but just a formal agreement for your neighbours to pay for access?

Have about 4 to 10 I can see out my windows. Tbh --I don't want to be a full fledge ISP. Just want to help out the neighbors if I could.

"allows reselling network access" - I'll have to look into it. But does anyone know of one?

"just a formal agreement for your neighbors to pay for access?" --- yes...just a formal agreement.

I thought maybe if changed from my residential connection to a business connection ---I could in theory sell it to my neighbors (?). Or create a small business with my neighbors and then they could/would be entitled to use the connection(?).

Cheers

quickymart

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#3051740 19-Mar-2023 09:50

Only issue with sharing your connection in that way is if you're away on holiday (for example) and it dies...your neighbours are without service and no way to get it fixed (they wouldn't be able to log a fault on your behalf).

Azzura

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#3051744 19-Mar-2023 10:08

quickymart:

Only issue with sharing your connection in that way is if you're away on holiday (for example) and it dies...your neighbours are without service and no way to get it fixed (they wouldn't be able to log a fault on your behalf).

I don't really go away all that much ---Canada once every 3 yrs maybe. I should also mention ---- I have a slight internet addiction problem. I have Fibre, SL and ADSL2+ connection at my house. I'd ensure one of the other 2 connections would become active if the main one went down---- fall over (legally).