Nation's WISPs Trying To Map Coverage - Want to be included in national subsidy plans...

While we just got done saying how the nation's largest ISPs have worked hard to keep accurate broadband penetration data out of the hands of the public, our friend Alex Goldman at ISP Planet highlights how smaller WISPs are doing the exact opposite, in the hopes of getting their fair share of government stimulus money -- and to make sure people remember there's quite a few of them out there.

After years of using shoddy data, the FCC has slowly been revising their data collection methods, hopefully resulting in better coverage data. The industry itself, spearheaded primarily by wireless consultant Brian Webster, is also trying to craft a new WISP map -- though at first glimpse the coverage areas seem a little too generous. "I like the WISP industry," says Webster. "It's small guys like me trying to make a go of it -- Serving the WISP industry is more of a passion than a moneymaker."

Update:An interesting comment from a WISP:

We're a wireless ISP in north alabama. We've given Brian the GPS coords of our towers and he has drawn a circle around them at a 10 mile radius. He has also taken the zip code of all WISPs who have registered with him and done the same. A few WISPS have actually been able to give him exact coverage data and if he has that, he's placed that on the map (look in northeast alabama for example). Overall, it is a good representation of where there is a WISP presence - even if you may not have heard of us.

Update 2: A Binghamton, NY WISP by the name of Binghamton Wireless also reaches out with clarification:

You are correct that the map is imperfect. Brian basically asked for tower locations and possible coverage radius. Since most sites will require line of sight, drawing a perfect circle is far from perfect, but it's better than the previous data which was nothing at all.

He goes on to note that it's a little more scientific than just guesstimating the tower range:

The terrain has been very well mapped out by satellite based radar, and software exists to predict wireless coverage based on terrain...I think long term Brian will be able to improve his data, especially if someone paid him full time to sit there and run the calculations.

However accounting for trees is mostly fudge factors and guesswork. You can tell where they are in a satellite or arial image, but not how tall they are or the density or the type and species. It doesn't matter much for things like TV and FM radio because they are lower frequencies and tremendously high powered, but for wireless internet it matters a great deal.

Update 3: Great responses continue to roll in, with the creator of the map, Brian Webster, also adding his thoughts:

I'm the author of the map and do realize it is not perfect. This whole thing was done as a volunteer project. Right now the WISP industry can't even tell you how many WISP's there are let alone the coverage area. The map was started using zip codes out of the WISP Directory and had a 10 mile circle drawn around those.

Later the directory was updated to allow WISP's to input their zip codes served on the FCC form 477. Once WISP's saw that there is a real industry presence I started to get better data with things like AP locations or total network polygons. For my clients who had RF maps produced, some have allowed me to use that information on the map. If there is service in an area that is not on the map, it is because that WISP has not provided either myself or the WISP directory with any data. This whole project has relied on voluntary reporting. Many WISP's still may not even be aware of this effort.

Hopefully we just helped in that regard. Baby steps.