Don Berryman heads EarthLink's municipal networks division: In this podcast, we speak about a huge array of topics centered around metro-scale deployments. How EarthLink, despite pricing and regulations, has a pile of existing broadband customers, and how they've been working on new broadband technologies for four years. Why Berryman says the numbers don't work for large-scale advertising-supported networks. Why early deployments have sparse coverage and have had to add nodes. How EarthLink's revenue model isn't dependent on Wi-Fi but also includes a substantial line item of revenue from their "capacity injection" layer, which can offer 1.5 Mbps to 3 Mbps via Motorola Canopy today on a point-to-multipoint link for business and government.
Other topics: Broadband over powerline (BPL) as a way to reach service to tall buildings (and EarthLink's investment in Current, a BPL tech/deployment firm); why EarthLink declined to bid on Wireless Silicon Valley; and why Berryman is so excited about the train-based Internet/operations network proposal for the Capitol Corridor rail line in California for which EarthLink is one of four firms building test networks. Whew. [42 min., 20 MB, MP3]