The Business Innovation Factory today announced its plans for statewide rollout of the Rhode Island Wireless Innovation Networks (RI-WINs), an effort to make Rhode Island the first state in the country with a border-to-border broadband network.

The primary mission of RI-WINs is to promote innovation, accelerate Rhode Island's economic growth, and spur new broadband wireless solutions in areas like healthcare, education, homeland security and public safety.

Plans for statewide expansion are based on results from the project's piloting phase, an eight month period during which users tested applications on a small scale version of the network, and a market research study which included an operating model and pro forma financial analysis, performed by Altman & Vilandrie, a Boston-based telecommunications consulting firm.

Highlights of the Altman Vilandrie research study:

• RI-WINs will target mobile workers in the enterprise wireless data market, the fastest growing segment of the telecommunications market.
• The enterprise wireless data market in Rhode Island is forecasted to grow from $16 million in 2007 to $97 million in 2012.
• The study forecasts over 35,000 users and $11 million in revenue by year 5 of operations.
• Users represent individual mobile enterprise workers as well as network access points for remote monitoring and sensing.
• The study projects that RI-WINs will be self-sustaining by the end of its third year of operations.

Full details of the announcement are available at the Business Innovation Factory site, RI-WINs Wireless Project Announces Plan for Statewide Rollout.