We Didn’t Invent Wireless Internet, We Just Made it Better TM Can You Ping Me Now??? TM PART-15.ORG License Exempt Wireless Internet Service Providers Illinois Broadband Deployment December 11, 2008

We Didn’t Invent Wireless Internet, We Just Made it Better TM Can You Ping Me Now??? TM PART-15.ORG Wireless Internet Service Providers What is a WISP? § License-Exempt Spectrum Removes Cost Barrier Off-the-Shelf Equipment § Small Entrepreneurs Usually 5 or less employees § Self Funded Personal Credit Card Loans from Grandma Ruth 2 nd Mortgages

We Didn’t Invent Wireless Internet, We Just Made it Better TM Can You Ping Me Now??? TM WISP Abridged History Historically High Growth 1995 – 250 WISPs, –FCC Part 15 Rules – Mostly for Wi-Fi, indoor –Equipment Availability – Mostly for WiFi, indoor 1997 – 1,700 WISPs 1999 – 2,000 WISPs –Manufacturers producing Outdoor Equipment 2001 – 2,500 WISPs –PART-15.ORG Established (2002) –Motorola produces Canopy (2002) 2003 – 3,500 WISPs –FCC changes rules (Lots of good things for WISPs) –Repeated FCC Tours of WISPs in the field –Dedicated FCC Personnel for WISPs (2004) –WISPs Failures Continue to Grow 2005 – 8,000 WISPs –Some Consolidation among WISPs –Katrina - Recognition of the WISP Industry (P15) –Municipal Wireless Projects Take Off 2006 – 8,000+ WISPs Continued (but less) Consolidation More Fed’s Recognizing the WISPs Obtained Additional Spectrum – 3650, 5.4Ghz 2007 – 9,000+ WISP More Consolidations among WISPs Many Municipal Wireless Projects Failing Many WISPs Fail More WISPs come alive 3650 Released and Operational

We Didn’t Invent Wireless Internet, We Just Made it Better TM Can You Ping Me Now??? TM PART-15.ORG Accomplishments § First License Exempt WISP Organization Established in 2002 (been around the longest and is the largest) Established “WISPCON” specifically for the WISPs Most Active Discussion Lists (Professional) & Content for Members Active and Current WISP Locator Maps Regulatory - Files 3-10 NPRM responses per year Invited & Speaks at FCC and other Government HQs more than any other WISP Organization Recognized as the License-Exempt Leader (call the FCC) Requested by FCC to Lead Industry in Katrina Help Member of Katrina Review Panel Trains FEMA and Homeland Security Communications Personnel

We Didn’t Invent Wireless Internet, We Just Made it Better TM Can You Ping Me Now??? TM The Current Status Of the License Exempt Wireless Industry § Industry Milestones  Recognition by Major Consumers and Governments, e.g. McDonalds, Auto Dealer Industry, FCC, etc.  Manufacturers Price Reduction  Additional Spectrum  Better Equipment § Remaining Hurdles  Money  Less Paperwork for Current Funding, e.g. USDA Grants  Creative (non-traditional) Capital Investment  Trained Personnel  Tower Climbers & Installers  Cost and Availability of Bandwidth

We Didn’t Invent Wireless Internet, We Just Made it Better TM Can You Ping Me Now??? TM The Rules Unlicensed Does Not Mean Unregulated § FCC Part 2  General Authorizations for Using Spectrum  Example: FCC Form 477 Reporting § FCC Part 15  The WISP Bible  Rules pertaining to Power Limits, Equipment Authorizations  Do’s and Don’ts § FCC Part 90  For 3650 MHz Semi-Licensed Spectrum  Major PART-15.ORG Accomplishment

We Didn’t Invent Wireless Internet, We Just Made it Better TM Can You Ping Me Now??? TM The Rules Unlicensed Does Not Mean Unregulated § FCC Form 477 Most WISPs are NOT filing the MANDATORY form semi- annually For example – Illinois based WISPs 109 Total 30 Filed Margin of error <5% That means 79 (or more than ½) DID NOT file and are “under-the-radar”.

We Didn’t Invent Wireless Internet, We Just Made it Better TM Can You Ping Me Now??? TM The Current Status Illinois Broadband & Fixed Wireless § Inaccurate Data Collection to Date FCC Form 477 Illinois WISPs – 40 (109 est.) Illinois WISP Subscribers – 28,822 (72,000 est.) Total Illinois Broadband Residential – 2,943,747 Total Illinois Broadband Business – 1,361,604 Total Broadband Connections in Illinois: 4,305,351 Illinois Percentage of ZIP Codes with number of Broadband Providers ZeroOneTwoThreeFourFiveSixSevenEightNineTen or More

We Didn’t Invent Wireless Internet, We Just Made it Better TM Can You Ping Me Now??? TM The Current Status Of the License Exempt Wireless Industry § What is PART-15.ORG Doing Now? Regulatory Federal & State Rules that Foster Growth Recognition Further Recognition as a Viable Competitor Identify and Tract Deployments for Market Analysis Financial Unencumbered Access to Money Creative Capital Investors, Grants Assistance Training Non-WISPs

We Didn’t Invent Wireless Internet, We Just Made it Better TM Can You Ping Me Now??? TM WISPCON October 2009 Chicago or Springfield

We Didn’t Invent Wireless Internet, We Just Made it Better TM Can You Ping Me Now??? TM ADDITIONAL REFERENCES (1) License-Exempt, Discussion Lists, Members Only Area (2) MHz (3) Industry News (2) My direct address (3) My direct line