Many underserved communities around the globe lack reliable, high-speed internet access, creating what is known as the digital divide. Fortunately, businesses like Patriot Broadband are working tirelessly to bridge this gap, offering franchise opportunities to individuals or entities interested in becoming Internet Service Providers (ISPs). This blog post offers a step-by-step guide on how to start an ISP, using the Patriot Broadband model as an example.
Identifying the right market is the first crucial step. Patriot Broadband targets markets with approximately 5,000 to 8,000 households or about 12,000 to 20,000 in total population. This population size ensures there's enough demand to sustain the business whilst still operating in markets where we can be competitive.
Once you've identified your market, you need to design a network that serves the area effectively. This step requires technical knowledge and experience. For franchisees, Patriot Broadband assists with network design and equipment engineering, ensuring that the right technology is in place to deliver quality services.
Before construction begins, you need to secure leases for tower sites and get the necessary permits. Lease management and permitting can be complex and time-consuming, but necessary. This is another area where Patriot Broadband provides support to its franchisees, helping navigate through the bureaucracy.
The construction phase involves staging equipment, integrating the network, and commissioning. In this phase, the planning becomes tangible as the actual hardware is deployed, and the network comes alive. Once again, the Patriot Broadband team offers expert supervision to ensure everything goes according to plan.
Ahead of the grand opening, you need to strategize for the market launch. This step involves both traditional marketing and digital marketing tactics. Patriot Broadband provides its franchisees with a Local Marketing Playbook, complete with physical marketing materials. Additionally, they offer a comprehensive digital marketing strategy, including SEO, reputation management, social media marketing, and location-specific landing pages.
Having a central management system for customer communications, billing, network monitoring, and other administrative tasks is key. Patriot Broadband equips its franchisees with a platform called Sonar that handles all these aspects in one easy-to-use portal.
To succeed, your service must stand out in the markets you serve. This means offering a great blend of speed and price, no data limits, and no contracts – a formula that has given Patriot Broadband incredibly high retention in the markets they operate.
Lastly, to be cost-effective, negotiate preferred rates with tower companies, equipment
providers, and bandwidth resellers. Patriot Broadband has already done this, passing along
the savings to its franchisees.
Starting an ISP in underserved communities is a viable business opportunity and a chance to
make a meaningful impact. As a Patriot Broadband franchisee, you're not only entering a
lucrative field, but you're also bringing a vital service to those who need it most. This
endeavor might be challenging, but with the right partners and preparation, it's entirely
achievable.