Start Your Own ISP (Internet Service Provider) Business

[Ryan]

https://startyourownisp.com/

This guide was just published, basically a step-by-step how-to for making your own Internet Service Provider. There are $25,000 in up front costs infrastructure-- in addition to the sweat equity you'd need to hire out. Then another few hundred per home to hook up (wirelessly).

How cool a business would this be, to own your own ISP? I know nothing about corporations (yet), but could structuring things as a C-Corp work, then selling stock to community members who would presumably be motivated to bring a cheap, fast and reliable ISP in?

[G]

I guess.  What's the mousetrap you're trying to improve?  The internet works fine in my house for ~$1/day.

[adventure]

Ryan wrote:

How cool a business would this be, to own your own ISP?

Click to expand...

Tech wise - perhaps a fun adventure.

From a business perspetive, you can't keep up with the technology, and essentially, while "profitable", it takes nearly all the profits poured back into the business, just to keep up with the new technology. Given that, the overhead, and the monopolies (read: comcast), it isn't really a viable business. Been there. Was part of it, dhd some fun. It was good the business was sold and we moved on.

 

Now, I did once set up our wifi, and charged my roommates, and neighbors more than it cost me each month... that was profitable (but limited in scalability)!

[Zaphod]

G wrote:

I guess.  What’s the mousetrap you’re trying to improve?  The internet works fine in my house for ~$1/day.

Click to expand...

American internet is one of the most expensive, slowest internet in the world.

[Neuro-doc]

Zaphod wrote:

American internet is one of the most expensive, slowest internet in the world.

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No, for that you would need to look north. You have clearly not tried Canadian internet.

And don't even ask about our cell phone companies.

[G]

Zaphod wrote:

G wrote:

I guess.  What’s the mousetrap you’re trying to improve?  The internet works fine in my house for ~$1/day.

Click to expand…

American internet is one of the most expensive, slowest internet in the world.

Click to expand...

I deduct half of the cost, so I guess it's like 80 cents a day...is that better?   

On a related note: Neuro-doc, the ski lifts were moving slow today, so between runs I was able to surf the web on my phone...I just think that's pretty neat (even if completely unnecessary).

[childay]

I wish someone would do this where I live.  Folks might be surprised how much of rural america is without real internet accessibiility.  Not only can we not get cable, but the phone company won't hook up the DSL because they haven't upgraded their hardware in 20 years.  Satellite internet is better than it used to be at least..