Municipal Digital Infrastructure (MDI) uses a fiber optic backbone and small antennas to provide high-speed internet access, cell phone coverage, telephone service, and other functions to a community. It offers many benefits like lower costs for services, improved public safety communications, business and visitor portals, and opportunities for revenue. An MDI could provide these services to Longboat Key at cheaper rates than commercial providers through a wireless network infrastructure.

1. Municipal Digital Infrastructure Longboat Key - MDI Feb.18.2010

2. Municipal Digital Infrastructure There are more than 20,000 square miles of municipal WiFi in America Municipal broadband offers many advantages to residents and to the economy of the community. Municipal broadband can provide high speed internet access less expensively than commercial broadband service providers. Island-wide WiFi will make Longboat more attractive to visitors and prospective residents. A digital infrastructure can increase community services while reducing costs. A digital infrastructure will decrease costs for DAS cell phone providers by 48% making DAS cost competitive with tall macro cell towers.

3. Community WiFi Features Functions that can be provided by a Digital Infrastructure WiFi - High speed wireless internet (WiFi). Cell Phone - Distributed Antenna cell phone system (DAS). Telephone - Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP). High speed Cell Phone data via wifi. Public Safety High Speed Communications. Automated meter reading and monitoring. Community surveillance camera monitoring. Business WiFi Portal. Intra-government low cost data communications. Municipal staff remote operations and data entry. Distributed Antenna cell phone system (DAS).

4. What is a Municipal Digital Infrastructure? An MDI is composed of a fiber optic backbone running the length of the island along with small antennas mounted on utility and lamp poles.

5. Benefits to the Community In France Triple Play (TV/Phone/Internet) costs 30 euros which is about $46. The average resident on Longboat Key pays more than $150 for the same services.

6. Municipal Digital Infrastructure If a community creates its own MDI then it can purchase content such as IPTV, VOIP and WiFi at wholesale prices. An MDI enables a community to attach many services on to the infrastructure. An MDI can support improved Public Safety communications at lower costs to the community.

7. Municipal WiFi Muni WiFi will bring Longboat into the 21st century. All residents, tourists, businesses, visitors and renters will have access to high speed wireless internet services. Most “smart phone” users will have access to high speed data. AT&T and Verizon now support SKYPE.

8. Telephone Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone is a technology that allows you to make voice calls using a broadband Internet connection instead of a regular analog phone line. Comcast and Verizon offer VOIP at $35 a month or more. MDI can supply VOIP at $16 a month or less.

9. MDI in the Home The MDI wireless “last mile” delivery of services to the home/business terminates with a Subscriber Unit. Computers and analogue phones connect to the SU just like the Comcast/Verizon subscriber units currently in use on the island. MDI allows the user to transport VIOP service including phone number to any broadband connection at another locality.

10. Broadband Wireless Currently wireless internet is unavailable on Longboat. Some homes and offices have local WiFi covering a small area. Most notebook computers support WiFi. Newer smartphones (I-Phone) support WiFi. MDI will cover Longboat with high speed WiFi both indoors and outdoors.

11. Municipal WiFi Portal A community WiFi Portal will be accessible on visitor smart phones, notebook computers, I-Pods and all wifi enabled devices. The town wifi portal can charge for local business advertising as well as assisting visitors to locate businesses, town facilities and area events. Other towns use their municipal wifi to support local organization and businesses. A Muni WiFi system enables local government to promote the business community. Muni WiFi enhances the visitor experience and promotes community activities.

12. Longboat Municipal WiFi Now Is A Good Time To Help Local Small Businesses Succeed Island-wide Internet Coverage Island-wide Cell Phone Coverage 50% Savings on Internet and Phone Bills Visitors and Tourists Have Internet Availability Direct visitors to local business Help tourists discover Longboat Give local business a modern face Enable cell phones to see our town

13. Cell Phones and WiFi Both AT&T and Verizon offer SKYPE on their smart phones. WiFi enabled cell phones can access data ten times faster than data streams supplied by the carriers. When a cell phone uses WiFi no minutes are charged to the phone account.

14. Public Safety MDI will offer police fire and EMT greatly increased communication speed and coverage at reduced costs. MDI will enable low cost surveillance camera installation and monitoring. MDI will increase worker efficiencies through universal low cost communications throughout the government.

15. Request For InformationRequest For Proposals The first step in evaluating a MDI is gathering concept proposals from various wireless and DAS providers via an RFI. Information from the concept proposals will be the basis for an RFP. The next step is an RFP if we find that the concept proposals are economically attractive and the Return on invest (ROI) makes sense. A wireless MDI system including WiFi/VOIP/DAS can be quickly rolled out to the home because it is based on wireless technology. The DAS component can be implemented more quickly than macro cell tower technology.

16. Finances 2.5 billion has been set aside in the federal stimulus program expressly for expanding broad band infrastructures. FPL may want to use our MDI for meter reading and Smart Grid applications. We may want to consider using the county infrastructure funds similar to what was done with the tennis center building. Over time MDI will recoup expenses and become a source of income for the town.

17. The DAS Cell Phone Business Model Backhaul accounts for half of the capital expense and operating costs for a DAS cell phone provider. MDI will eliminate these costs enabling a DAS provider to compete favorably with macro (tall) cell towers. MDI offers many more community services than a cell tower and saves the residents money.

18. Advantages of MDI MDI can be expanded and enhanced because the fiber backbone is a very big pipe capable of carrying vast amounts of information. MDI offers multiple services and is extensible as new technologies come on-line. MDI can be a revenue source for Longboat while saving residents money. MDI will enhance our community.