What kind of operator you are.
WHAT FORMS EXIST
Wireless internet service providers Fibre network operators Last-mile resellers of another operator's capacity Community and estate networks Public hotspot operators Enterprise connectivity providers Tower and infrastructure providers
WHY THE DISTINCTION MATTERS
Capital requirements, licensing and margin structure differ substantially.
WHAT A RESELLER IS ECONOMICALLY
A business buying capacity wholesale and distributing it, with margin on the difference.
WHAT AN INFRASTRUCTURE OPERATOR IS
A capital business: money spent first, recovered over years.
WHY THAT MATTERS
They are funded and managed entirely differently.
WHAT ALL SHARE
Dependence on upstream capacity Heavy dependence on power Customers who notice every interruption Regulatory obligations Infrastructure exposed to damage and theft
WHY POWER DESERVES EMPHASIS
Network equipment must run continuously, and unreliable supply is the principal operational problem.
WHAT DETERMINES PROFITABILITY
Cost per megabit of upstream capacity
Contention: how many customers share it
Subscriber density per point of presence Churn Support cost per subscriber
WHAT MOST OPERATORS UNDERESTIMATE
Support cost, and the cost of maintaining infrastructure.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH FIRST
Cost per subscriber, fully loaded.
WHAT TO TREAT THIS CATEGORY AS
Business and operational guidance, with licensing verified with the regulator.
