Operating Costs for HotSpots
An article on CNET delves into operating costs for hotspot operation, claiming “three-year costs” for operating a hotspot attached to a business-DSL line at $165, and that served by a T-1 at $400. I think you have to assume the three-year cost is a figure that includes a 3 year amortization of hardware and installation costs, otherwise the “three year” part makes little sense. Given that a business-class DSL line runs $70-$75 a month, this may not be too far off.
Other stats: 10X hotspot growth from 2002 to 2007. According to In-Stat/MDR, hotspot count should go from 745 in North America to over 7,000.
Finally, Toshiba and Accenture claim to have 10,000 hotspots in the US by the end of the year. Their model involves a revenue share with the venue owner and the operator. Toshiba and Accenture get 50%, the venue owner gets 20%, and the operator takes 30%.
