GCN Update Summer 2004

July 24, 2007

Much has happened with the Gustavus Community Network (GCN) since we last sent a message to all subscribers. With a desire to provide broadband service and with our parent organization (the Gustavus Community Association) about to be disbanded, many more changes are coming. We are writing to bring you all up to date and to stimulate any needed discussion about where we are headed.

Bruce Paige, Chair and Administrator
Nathan Borson, Network Services Provider

* Important note: This message includes certain proposed actions, including new rates. If you have questions or objections, please contact one of us as soon as possible or post your comments in the technicians forum (click the new button to create a new post). We will answer any questions and if there are still objections we will call a membership meeting to make decisions. If we hear no objections, we will proceed with the actions proposed in this message. This may be your only chance to comment so be sure you understand the proposals

Second Broadband Customer On-Line

On May 18 Glacier Bay Lodge became GCN's second broadband customer (the Gustavus Public Library being the first). The lodge is connected to GCN at the Gustavus Public Library via a local T1 circuit leased from ACS. The expense of a local T1 is considerable. However, the local T1 and GCN's proposed broadband rates are a good deal compared to leasing a T1 to Juneau as the lodge was contemplating. The new lodge concessioner, Aramark, is paying GCN the same broadband surcharge proposed below for all GCN subscribers. The surcharge will pay for more bandwidth from our upstream provider.

Wireless Broadband at Library

On July 21 the Gustavus Public Library installed a wireless access point so that patrons can connect their Wi-Fi equipped portable electronics to the Internet at high speed. Accessing the network is simple. If you are in range (anywhere in the library building) and your wireless network adapter is on, it should show you that the wireless network "Library" is available. Just select the library network and connect . Use of the network is free to library patrons, at least until overuse becomes a problem (see proposed rates below). Note that wireless transmissions can technically be intercepted by others nearby, allowing them to "eavesdrop" on your communications. Secure web browsing, as when conducting on-line banking, is still safe because the communication is encrypted.

Proposed Action: GCN Become City Utility

The Gustavus Community Network is a committee of the Gustavus Community Association (GCA). Now that there is a city government, GCA is planning to disband by the end of the year. All committees who wish to continue their operations must settle on a new organizational structure. Possibilities for GCN include becoming a separate business or non-profit entity, or becoming a part of the City of Gustavus. There is ample precedent for municipalities to own and operate public utilities including ISPs and we like the idea of public ownership of our Internet service. So unless there is objection we are planning to join the city. Exactly how this will be done still needs to be worked out. We will work with the city council and the state on drafting a city ordinance that would make the city an Internet Service Provider (any help would be welcome!). Of course, final approval will need to be given by the city council.

Proposed Action: New Rates

As usage and services increase, do so our costs. GCN rates are unchanged since SEAKNet's inception in 1996 and are insufficient to cover very heavy use by the top 10% or so of subscribers. We propose usage-based pricing in order to

• Keep prices low for the 90% of subscribers who make light use of the service, and
• Finance increased performance and services for businesses and power users.

• Rates would be unchanged for 130 of 152 subscribers, using June statistics.
• 14 of the 22 seeing rate increases will pay only $10/month more.
• New rates include pricing for future broadband service and cover customers of all sizes.

New Dial-Up Hours Surcharge

As of July 11 we have 19 modems in service for our dial-up customers (up from 17), but we are still getting busy signals at times. Each active modem (actually, the lines that service them) incurs a monthy charge from ACS so we try to purchase only as many lines as we need in order to minimize the subscriber fee. We are finding that some users are on-line much more than others and as a result the number of lines needed per subscriber is increasing and our basic monthly subscription fee is not enough to cover the rise. We are proposing a surcharge for users who are on-line more than 100 hours/month to cover this difference and eliminate busy signals.

New Bandwidth Surcharge

We pay our satellite Internet access provider based on the number of bytes sent and received to and from the Internet. Average use per subscriber has increased considerably over what it was a year ago, so our Internet cost has increased without a corresponding increase in the subscriber fee. Again, there is a huge disparity in the amount of bandwidth consumed by different subscribers and we did not think it fair to charge everyone for the large amounts of traffic generated by a few users. Therefore we are proposing a bandwidth surcharge for the heaviest users. This paves the way for broadband customers to pay for new high-performance service.

Equipment and Installation Charges for Broadband

The first broadband subscribers, at least, will connect to GCN with an exterior radio and antenna. The monthly charge for installation and use of this equipment will be $17/month or approximately $550 one time only. There is no other charge specifically for broadband, but many broadband users will pay a bandwidth surcharge depending on their usage. Though broadband customers are always connected they will never pay a dial-up surcharge because they do not use modems. Some broadband customers will realize a ost savings because they can disconnect phone lines dedicated to their computers and will not have to pay a dial-up surcharge. See the discussion about availability of broadband service, below.

Other cost increases

In addition to increases in ACS line charges, satellite Internet use, and customer broadband equipment costs described above, GCN will be paying for shared broadband equipment and leased lines. Finally, there will be more administration due to increased complexity of our network and rates. We must expect administration needs will outpace available volunteer labor soon. The surcharges described above will help cover resulting personnel costs.

Specifics

Review the proposed pricing

Impact of the Proposed Rate Change

For the month of June, users would have been affected thus had the proposed rates been in effect:

Dial-Up Surcharge

Average hours on-line per subscriber: 53
Hours on-line for median subscriber: 26
130 users were online fewer than 100 hours and would pay no surcharge.
15 users were online from 100-200 hours and would pay a $10 surcharge.
1 user was online from 200-300 hours and would pay a $20 surcharge.
6 users were online more than 300 hours and would pay a $35 surcharge.

Bandwidth Surcharge

Average bandwidth used by all users: 291 MB
Median user used 96 MB.
144 users used less than 500 MB and would pay no surcharge
5 users used 500-1,000 MB and would pay a bandwidth surcharge of $10
2 users used 1,000-2,000 MB and would pay a bandwidth surcharge of $45. 
1 user used 2,000-4,000 and would pay a surcharge of $95.

To see how the proposed pricing will affect you, go to proposed pricing and scroll down for instructions on how to obtain your statistics.

Proposed Action: Salmon River Wireless Network

We have been promising a broadband network in some form for years. Nate has spent much time doing research and has experienced considerable disappointment. "Wi-Fi" works poorly through trees and will never serve all GCN subscribers. Broadband over Powerlines (BPL) is much more expensive than everyone having their own satellite dish. My current ambition is to deliver wireless broadband where it makes sense and worry about everyone else later. Unless there is objection, we intend to build a wireless network this summer in the Salmon River area as follows:

• Install a base station in the immediate vicinity (within 300 feet) of City Hall. City Hall becomes the network center of this wireless "cell." Initially, we would mount the radio and antenna in a nearby tree. Eventually, we will probably want to erect a tall tower to provide coverage to more customers and link other cells.
• Install customer equipment at a test locations to make sure they connect properly to the base station.
• Connect the base station to the library via a leased circuit from ACS and DSL modems, giving Internet access to City Hall and the customers with equipment installed. Install additional radios for other customers in the area.

Costs:

GCN will pay for this equipment from its savings:

• There will also be a recurring cost of $80/month from ACS for the leased line to the library. Depending on the number of broadband subscribers served in the Salmon River area, this may be offset by disconnecting unused modem lines.
• Nate and others will volunteer to do the installation.
• Customers will pay for their equipment and installation per the proposed pricing.
• We will propose to the City of Gustavus that we provide City Hall with basic broadband service ($47/month value) in exchange for space and power for GCN's network equipment.

Remember, this may be your only chance to question or object to any of the above proposals. Contact Nathan Borson or Bruce Paige as soon as possible or post your comments in the technicians forum (click the new button to create a new post).

Thank you all for your continued patience and support.

Bruce and Nate