OneBrowardNetwork Planning Workshop

Rhode Island-Wireless Innovation Networks (RI-WINs)

Project Lead/Presenter: Bob Panoff Date: January 31, 2006Organization: Business Innovation FactoryCountry: United States Email: bobpanoff@rpm-strategy.comWeb site: www.businessinnovationfactory.com

Background

• RI is a small state of approximately 1000 square miles and 1 million people - but a representative microcosm

• Infuse traditional economy with innovative culture and technology

• Open and receptive regulatory environment

• Close knit community with history of successful collaboration

• Statewide effort to upgrade IT infrastructure and take advantage existing wired broadband networks

Project History

• Launched in October 2004 by the Business Innovation Factory, a non-profit dedicated to enabling collaborative innovation and promoting public/private partnership

• Based on BIF’s “Innovation@Scale” Strategy – idea that Rhode Island is an ideal place to test new business models

• Feasibility study led by IBM with partners from public and private sectors – Spring, 2005

• Business plan completed to fund pilot network and applications – Summer, 2005

• Pilot network goes live February, 2006

Mission & Objectives

Stimulate innovation through a statewide network that:

– Accelerates “test-trial-deploy” innovation cycle.– Offers border-to-border, wireless services that enable speeds

in excess of 1Mb/sec.– Covers markets outside of typical commercial models. – Enables collaborative development and integration of

innovative wireless enterprise application solutions.– Enables a “network of networks” in support of cross-industry

collaboration.

Mission & Objectives

Create statewide, border-to-border, wireless broadband network that:

– Breaks down barriers to innovation – Improves interoperability among new products and

technologies– Establishes Rhode Island as an ideal place to explore and

test new business models.

RI-WINs Overview• RI-WINs focus on innovation is unique

– Applications and solutions– Not cheap Internet access

• Collaborative private-public partnership is the most flexible approach– Partnership preferred to competition– Clear return to partners– Wholesale model– Non-profit enterprise membership structure– Avoid silos with shared multi-purpose network

• Reach every level of the value chain across every sector of economy

The RI-WINs Wireless Ecosystem

RI-WINs End User-Provider Collaboration•Neutral Forum•Aggregation of Requirements, Demand, Application Knowledge, User Creativity•Joint Development•Field Trial/Beta Site•Deployment@Scale

End User Access•Industry Expertise•On-going Operational & Communications Requirements

Provider WirelessTechnology Access•Application Expertise•Technical Resources•Technology Roadmap

Wireless Innovation•Lower Cost Operations•Better End User Services & Products•Economic Development•Bigger Wireless Market & Market Share

Project Economics

• Cost structure: – Pilot Network approximately $1 million

– Full network deployment approximately $20 million

• Partnership funding– Pilot project funded by a combination of federal, state, and private

funds

– In-kind contributions of spectrum, tower and building access, fiber for backhaul, network engineering, etc.

Project Economics

• Revenues produced by membership and usage– Annual memberships to include standard services and user

population

– Incentive to add applications and usage

– Incremental user service fees

• Operational Model– Estimated annual budget at full operations approximately $7 million

– Conservative demand estimate produces significant surplus to invest in new innovation and sustain state-of-art

Pilot Applications• Rhode Island Port Security Project

RI-WINs accessed as part of port security demonstration project to create seamless and secure broadband wireless network for waterborne first responders.

• CVS/Pharmacy IT Field SupportInformation technology personnel from CVS/Pharmacy will use the RI-WINs network to access corporate applications and data  while in the field.

Brown University Mobile Higher EducationRI-WINs pilot will provide wireless broadband connectivity to facilitate the RI Teacher Education Renewal (RITER) project, a partnership composed of all 8 approved teacher preparation programs in Rhode Island. 

• Rhode Island Department of Administration  RI-WINs will pilot innovative wireless solutions for activities at Rhode Island’s Department of Environmental Management and the Department of Health.

The RI-WINs network architecture

Internet

BTS

BTS

FOT

FOT

WiFi

Area Cluster

FOT R

oute

r FOT

Policy Mgr

BIF

ClusterAggregation

Cluster Core

WiMax

WiMax

Deployment

• RI-WINs Pilot – Deployed Feb, 2006 and runs 6-12 months– Geography covered Providence, Newport, Narragansett Bay

• Pilot to validate feasibility study– Significant demand for statewide network and services– Financial self-sustaining within 2 years– Generate “Innovation Reserve” to sustain state-of-art

approach

Impact Analysis• Widespread interest and support

– Public-private partnership includes organizations user and provider organizations

– In-state, national, and global organizations

• Pilot scope close to original objective

• Generating spontaneous participation from new sources

Lessons Learned & Next Steps

• Broad-based partnership and collaboration required for success– Difficult and time-consuming– Must keep focus on shared value proposition and

core objectives

• Implementation and Execution