Telecom Infrastructure Planning
PLT works exclusively in communities underserved by their telecommunications infrastructure. PLT differentiates its telecommunication planning approach by setting as the top objective minimizing the risk of wasting capital. Misapplied capital requires an increase in the average price per user or a decrease in the size of the community served.
This approach creates a roadmap that balances meeting the demand for service with aggressive capital and operating expense management. Furthermore, PLT’s proven rapid development methodology deliverables are suitable for use in grant and/or loan submissions.
PLT belief that its rapid development methodology is the best way for a community to address its need for a community telecommunications plan is supported by its use in three of ARRA broadband stimulus applications and that it was presented by the US Department of Agriculture as the way to minimize public subsidy in the delivery of the Internet service in rural America in 2007.
The Lean Build™ Methodology is comprised of:
- The Attractiveness Index™. A needs assessment tool which examines on a community-by-community basis where support is most. Results from this analysis serve as an early, easy to understand reference point from which to build community willingness to act in unison to get universal, affordable broadband access.
- The Lean Build™ Business Case. Includes both a demand forecast and supply side study. It balances the requirements for meeting current and future demand for service with aggressive capital and operating expense management. The assumptions that drive demand forecast, deployment recommendations and capital needs are then articulated in the Community Support Recommendation.
- PLT’s Community Support Recommendation™. Describes the form of support and the impact that support would have on the retail cost for community wide access to the Internet and the sustainability of an Internet Service Provider (ISP). This final work product is the roadmap, which serves to illustrate to potential grant makers that the community could support the deployment of an open access network. When presented in concert with the business case, investors will quickly understand the telecom potential of the analyzed area.
Utilizing its methodology, PLT has assisted communities with:
|
