What are skyCAPS and WISPs?

Like CATV (community antenna television), community access point service (CAPS) uses WiFi (802.11 wireless technology) to share Internet Access among a small group of users paying a fraction of normal rates for a high-speed broadband connection. (Byte story. Infoworld story. The Feature story.)

Many community access point services charge nothing at all for their service (Freenets). It is just a community benefit, whether the wireless Internet service provider (WISP) is a school, a coffee shop, a small business, or an airport.

A small neighborhood CAPS (also called a NAN for Neighborhood Area Network) may be provided by one individual who wants a very-high speed connection but cannot afford it. Friends and neighbors may buy their own access points and pay fees that subsidize the connection, but they usually do not fully cover the costs of the hardware, software, and Internet access fees for the wired Internet Point of Presence (POP).

For-profit CAPS generally offer client software that enables connection to their wireless networks. Some are area-specific, like commuters on San Francisco highways. Others are nationwide and enlist smaller CAPS to offer the server software and share the profits. Network locations are called "hot spots," where subscribers with Wi-Fi-enabled laptops and PDAs can tap into the data stream. Typical charge is $19.95/month.

Some small municipalities not well served by their local telephone companies provide wireless Internet access, and large cities have considered spanning the digital divide by expanding free access in schools, libraries, and government offices to a wide range of public places if not the whole city (called a MAN or Metropolitan Area Network).

skyCAPS are Community Access Point Services based on a mix of technology, hardware, and software for management, monitoring, and billing recommended by skyCAPS.net, a subsidiary of skyBuilders.com.