Grand Rapids Wireless Broadband
and Clearwire Agreement Information 

 #1 Public Safety

The City's #1 reason for involvement in this project is to enhance Public Safety by dramatically increasing the information available to mobile police officers and firefighters.

 Additional Goals of the Project

Provide an economic development tool to attract and retain business

Reduce the digital divide with affordable high-speed broadband service

Improve service delivery to residents and reduce the cost of government

Facilitate wireless technology use for citizens and visitors

Create a seamless wireless infrastructure to attract and retain young professionals

Establish a wireless broadband network without a burden on taxpayers

 Bid Process

Grand Rapids was pleased to have forty-seven companies participate in the City's pre-bid conference; twenty-one companies submitted a Letter of Intent to Bid on the project, and nine companies actually submitted wireless broadband proposals by the April 25 deadline.

 Due Diligence

City staff, its consultant and community partners engaged in a lengthy and comprehensive review and evaluation of all nine proposals.  As part of the due diligence process, questions were asked, interviews conducted, and site visits made.  With the assistance of our consultant and community partners, Clearwire was unanimously selected as the company best suited to meet our requirements.

 Clearwire's Experience

Clearwire is a carrier class company with over $1 billion dollars in investment from Intel and Motorola.

Clearwire possesses the expertise and verifiable experience in the design, development, and implementation of a wireless broadband network that will meet the City's requirements.

Clearwire has developed over thirty wireless broadband networks across the country.

Clearwire possesses the financial veracity to build and sustain a network of the magnitude.

 Many Firsts

First large-scale, municipal mobile WIMAX deployment in the country, covering an area of 45 square miles and a population of approximately 200,000.

First partnership between Clearwire LLC and a municipality.

First WIMAX / WiFi hybrid network deployment that involves the placement of numerous WiFi hotspots in strategic locations throughout the City of Grand Rapids.

First truly cost-neutral arrangement whereby the cost of public safety and other municipal wireless broadband services will be offset by asset lease payments and additional partnership fees granted by Clearwire to the City.

 No Burden to the Taxpayer

The network will be privately owned and operated at no burden to taxpayers.

Clearwire will reimburse to the City the $100,000 spent on due diligence research and bidding the project.

Clearwire will pay established tower lease fees.

 Plug and Play

Clearwire uses a state-of-the-art wireless modem that can be plugged into a desktop computer, laptop, local network, or vehicle.

Users have the flexibility to set up the modem anywhere:  at home or at the office, upstairs or downstairs, inside or outside.

Installation is simple.  Just plug it in and surf the Internet within minutes.  That's it.  No additional software, equipment or installation is required.

 Coverage

Clearwire intends to quickly offer coverage throughout the City limits and, to offer service equally to the citizens of the City without discriminiation based on income, race, area of the city, or on other similar considerations.

In addition to outdoor coverage, at least 90% of interior rooms in residential, municipal, commercial, and other buildings, including areas above the second floor, will be covered by Clearwire service using their standard client access device.

 Cost per Retail User

Prices will be market driven.  The cost of service will not be governed by the City, but determined by Clearwire.

 Digital Inclusion

Discounted service of $9.95 permonth will be provided to up to 5% of total household count in Grand Rapids for qualifying low income citizens who apply.

 Hot Spots -- Visitor and Occasional Use

Clearwire will provice WiFi hotzones throughout the City.

Walled garden -- City will provide a list of Web sites that users may use free of charge.

 Speeds

Tiered service will be available for both residential and commercial customers.

Clearwire's average transmission speeds will be 1.3 Mbps downstream and 256 Kbps upstream.

Clearwire's wireless broadband network will be suitable for VOIP telephone service.

Clearwire service will accommodate the City's Public Safety requirements, including real-time video streaming and photo transfer for police and fire vehicles going up to 70 miles per hour.

Low latency and other attributes of the Clearwire network provide a user experience exceeding users expectations for the quoted speeds.

 Public Safety

Clearwire will carry wireless broadband signals to mobile police and fire vehicles without degradation or alteration.  Clearwire's wireless network will provide realtime video streaming.

Clearwire's wireless network will permit the highest levels of encryption to ensure that police and fire communications are secure.

Clearwire's wireless network will permit continuous service to public safety vehicles traveling up to 70 miles per hour.

Clearwire's wireless network will be 99.9% reliable and available.  Clearwire will provide at least six-hour battery back-up for the system to enhance the reliability of the system.

 Wholesale Access / Competition

Clearwire will provide wholesale Internet access to other service providers as well as retail service to businesses and residents.

No one is left out, any qualified company can sell wireless broadband  using the Clearwire network.

 What is WIMAX?

WIMAX is different than WiFi in a number of ways:

• Instead of using radios attached to utility poles, WIMAX works by transmitting signals to and from nearby cellular towers.
• WIMAX operates on an FCC licensed frequency so there is less potential for interference.  Since the signal power is stronger, penetration through  vegetation and walls is less of a problem.
• WIMAX is not just an outdoor network, but penetrates interior rooms , including those above the second floor.
• WIMAX is highly scaleable.  While not part of this agreement, it is anticipated that the network will eventually be expanded to include our surrounding cities.

WIMAX is most able to meet the security and reliability demands of Public Safety.

 PCMCIA Card Availability

PCMCIA cards are expected to be available by the time the network build out is complete.

 Illegal Activity

Clearwire will require users to log on for access outside of a hotspot walled garden.

Clearwire will block FBI-banned sites and maintain the ability to identify and shut down malicious users.

 Customer Service

Clearwire will have Customer Service Representatives available for calls and email communication 24 hours a day, 7 days per wekk, and 365 days per year.

 Retail Sales

Clearwire will have a local retail presence in the GR market.

Equipment and service will also be available for purchase in area "big box" electronic retail stores.

Equipment and service will also be available for purchase from third-party providers.

 Reliability

99.9% Availability

Clearwire will have a Network Operations Center available for calls and email communication 24 hours a day, 7 days per week, and 365 days per year.

Clearwire will make all commercially reasonable efforts to have repair personnel on site within forty-five minutes after any calls for repairs and to commence repairs within four hours of any call.

Clearwire will provide at least six (6) hour battery back-up for the system, and also provide for placement or availability of emergency generators at sites  and as appropriate to enhance reliability of the system.

Clearwire will provide redundant backbone fiber ring and overlapping coverage.

 Low Latency

User experience is that of higher speed service.

Suitable for VOIP and video.

 Maintenance

Onsite response in 45 minutes.

Tower climb in four hours.