Hi Tim,

Wednesday, June 28, 2006, 1:29:42 PM, you wrote:

> Patrick Murphy wrote:

>> I just got off the phone with a Skycasters rep., a Satellite ISP. She
>> told me their latency is 1/3 of the satellite industry average, and
>> that VPN's, and VoIP are well supported. I didn't ask for the latency.
>> I don't see how VoIP would work well with 700+ ms latency, which,
>> IIRC, I've read is the industry standard for satellite transmission.

> Ask a LOT of questions. I notice on one web page that mentions them 
> that for some of their solutions they are re-selling Direcway 
> services. Their VSAT service sounds interesting though.

I want to mention your negative experience with Direcway to them.

> Do you have a budget in mind for monthly operating expenses?

> Tim

Assuming some sort of broadband solution, I hope to have monthly
operating expenses of no more than $100, unless the solution
satisfactorily supports VoIP, which should then justify the costs of a
higher speed connection. However, I hesitate to consider VoIP via
satellite, as the latency must make for noticeable, and for some,
unacceptable delays. I'll ask the sales rep. to call me via VoIP for a
demonstration. If no other connection is available besides dial-up,
then for those communities, higher monthly fees should be expected.
I'm guessing, it would depend on the solution - if we could get, say
75 colonies to form a virtual, satellite ISP, Skycasters tells me the
cost would be $160 a month each. But that would depend on the
bandwidth necessary - perhaps we could feasibly go much slower - that
quote is based on a symmetric :-) connection, sharing one Meg up and one
Meg down.

One tower-based ISP is already offering the colonies in Alberta VoIP,
whitelisted Internet, and email for $400 a month. I estimate that
colonies pay between $300 to $500+ a month for long distance telephone
service, so they are getting some colonies to sign up, and such a
solution is attractive to us.

However, as I see it, the land line, long distance market is rapidly
changing. We are paying 4.5 cents a minute to call within Canada, but
the competition (i.e. www.telehop.com) is offering as low as 3 cents
(and only a flat $10 fee for residential!), so how much we should pay
monthly for a land-based, broadband Internet connection should take
this into account.

Another way to consider costs is to look at what some colonies are
already paying for Internet access and the use of a SonicWall or
FortiGate device. I assume broadband access at at least $40 a month,
and the maintenance fee for those devices at around the same amount,
but I could be wrong. Those already set up with such devices would
likely not want to pay more to switch.

If we were to go to a Dial-Up connection solution, then, of course,
the monthly expenses should be much lower. I'm still interested this
possibility, but haven't gotten very far yet. It may be that more than
one solution may be necessary - some requiring broadband, and others
just email.

-- 
Best regards,
Patrick Murphy
James Valley Colony
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