So, you are ready to start on your journey to bring faster, cheaper and decentralized internet to your area. Building an Althea network is similar to a fixed wireless ISP. You can find out more about this model at www.startyourownisp.com
Deployment Timeline
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Learn about Althea. We have a great set of videos on our YouTube channel. Find out more on our forum, and get started with an Althea router or two.
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Contact us at Althea at hello@altheamesh.com - We will help guide you through the process, set up your landing page and marketing materials, and answer any questions you might have.
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Identify an area/neighborhood to build out to. This might be the neighborhood you live in, or a nearby under-served area. In the US, https://broadbandnow.com/ can help identify potential competitors.
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Locate gateway location. Contact local business or homeowners in good locations for both a fiber connection and line of sight to the large area.
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Begin to gather a list of potential relays. The landing page materials will help bring in leads that may be good relays - partnering with these people will help you build and grow the network.
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Get quotes for gateway backhaul. We can help you determine your needs and navigate the quoting process.
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Set up a legal entity
- What kind of organization will work best for your needs? A LLC, cooperative, or something else?
- Do you need any local permits or licenses?
- Insurance
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Make a preliminary equipment plan
- What equipment do you want to use? This will be determined by what speeds you want to accomplish, the overall budget, and the topology of the area. We typically recommend Ubiquiti for 5Ghz deployments and Mikrotik for 60Ghz.
- Will the cost of the install be passed on to the end user?
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Plan a budget
- This is a good calculator to get started. (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jjUYOQMuZ4cRyTv1M5X8HGtrKFiW96_gNlfG8BBzRN0/edit#gid=0)
- target monthly revenue - Using your known expenses, a target price point and a threshold number of users can be set. This threshold will be the number of used in the pre-registration landing page.
- What recurring expenses will you have?
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Marketing Push
- Recruit help (optional)
- Social Media - Make a Facebook and/or twitter and Instagram presence for your area.
- Marketing Launch kit -
- Templates/suggestions for initial Facebook and twitter posts.
- Hand out Door Hangers and Flyers
- Follow up - plan a strategy for how to follow up and set up a point person to answer questions
- PR or local influencers
- Meeting with local Chamber of Commerce or other economic development leaders
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Plan Build Out
- Locate a roofing or install crew
- Take time to train your crew before it is time to launch
- Calculate the cost of the initial build and locate a source of funding