info on starting an isp

[RH Lists]

Chris,

Good luck.  With the possible exception of the prairies, Canada is a
terrible place to run an independent ISP. Trust me, I used to own one
(1995-2001).  The telcos and cable companies now own the residential
business. You can't get on cable, and the margin on DSL is too slim to run a
business unless you have several thousand clients.  Wireless can work, but
it is generally not cost-competitive with DSL or Cable. In general,
residential clients care only about price, not quality.  So you need to be
in an area where there is no high-speed competition.

On the corporate side, there is a possibility for profit, if you can get
creative, and provide better support than the big guys.

Now, I'm running the network at an ISP in Bermuda.  Here, there are still
margins. And the weather is better :) 

Rob



-----Original Message-----
From: owner-freebsd-isp at freebsd.org [mailto:owner-freebsd-isp at freebsd.org]
On Behalf Of kings fool
Sent: May 5, 2005 5:06 PM
To: freebsd-isp at freebsd.org
Subject: info on starting an isp

Hi,
 
I am looking for recommended sources of information (either electronic or
print) on the technical and practical (particularly in Canada) aspects of
starting an isp.  I realize there are many publications out there on the
subject, so I'm just seeking recommendations of publications you found most
useful.
 
Thanks,
 
Chris.