Business Planning and Financial Analysis

CTC offers incomparable expertise in the areas of independent business model analyses for large-scale communications networks, fiber optic network feasibility studies, and business case planning.  We hold extensive experience providing business and financial guidance for public and non-profit communications networks, including those of universities, state and local governments, municipal utilities, and health care entities.  

Our staff of experienced financial analysts and business strategists have worked with hundred of clients over the past 27 years to analyze both proposed communications projects and ongoing operations; identify business hurdles and opportunities; and prepare well-documented financial projections to support decision-makers.

Our analysts are also experienced with developing marketing and operations plans for public and non-profit networks, and with assisting clients to understand and market to potential customer segments, to plan appropriate products and services, and to price those products and services.

The following is a small sample of CTC’s recent representative projects. Further information is available upon request.

Over the past four years, CTC prepared a series of path-breaking analyses of the feasibility of the City building and operating a fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network to every home and business in San Francisco—including analysis of multiple business models and financial recommendations customized for San Francisco’s unique circumstances, as well as a system design and detailed analysis of candidate architectures and open access models. CTC also helped the City with business planning, financial analysis, and engineering design to support its preparation of a BTOP application for the FTTP project.

Since 2008, CTC has conducted a feasibility study, business case analysis, and “off-the-balance-sheet” benefits analysis for the city’s proposed fiber-optic network. The first study, “FTTP Municipal Broadband Risks and Benefits Evaluation,” included an evaluation of the business case and business risks, an internal needs analysis, market research, and an assessment of competing services and technologies.

Following on that report, CTC researched and wrote an “FTTP Benefits Evaluation” for the City, which explored the benefits of FTTP beyond the traditional financial statements, including cost avoidance, monetary savings, and environmental impact.

CTC performed a business case and business plan for DC-Net, a fiber optic telecommunications network that provides voice and data services for the District of Columbia. The network consists of resilient, interconnected fiber optic rings that will connect more than 400 government buildings in the District.

CTC’s independent assessment analyzed public safety, government, and educational uses of the network. The project tasks included asset mapping and network description; cost comparison to leased/managed services; functional and technical comparison between dark fiber and alternatives; leveraging the ability to resell to other entities; identifying support mechanisms; and determining recommended business practices.

CTC serves in an ongoing role as strategic fiber advisor to the City, and provided business planning, engineering, and project management services for the City’s successful BTOP stimulus grant application to build a public fiber network throughout Washington.

CTC recently completed a business and technology plan for the City’s Department of Water and Power to determine the feasibility of using the Department’s fiber network to offer services to the public and businesses. CTC staff evaluated existing operations and sales, analyzed the potential market, and recommended business, marketing, and operational changes to maximize use of the fiber.

CTC has also long served as technical adviser to the City of Los Angeles on fiber and cable matters and has performed long-term performance evaluation and inspection of existing broadband networks. CTC designed a fiber-optic network for Los Angeles, and advised the City on the technical feasibility of open access networking.

CTC provided extensive business planning, business modeling, and pro forma preparation for the State of Maryland’s One Maryland program, a BTOP-funded initiative to build an interconnected fiber-optic broadband network that will reach every county and city in Maryland and will provide backbone and middle-mile capacity for commercial carriers.  CTC also prepared a market analysis and marketing plan for the large, 10-jurisdiction Inter-County Broadband Network that is the largest entity in One Maryland.

CTC supported the Urbana-Champaign Big Broadband (UC2B) Coalition, comprising the University of Illinois and the cities of Champaign and Urbana, in preparing its successful application for a BTOP grant to support its proposed FTTP network. CTC provided financial planning services and developed the project’s required pro forma statements, among other network engineering, and strategic planning tasks.

CTC provided the concept, business case, engineering, and project management for the National Capital Region Interconnection Network—a 120-mile public safety network interconnecting 19 fiber-optic based government networks in the greater Washington, D.C. region.

CTC worked closely with the technical teams of each jurisdiction to perform a comprehensive review of existing technologies, capabilities, and financial considerations in the individual jurisdictions.  CTC developed the business case for the network and provided ongoing support in demonstrating the value and benefits of network use.

Over the past 15 years, CTC has served as DelDOT’s strategic consultant in evaluating the business case and preparing appropriate documentation for DelDOT’s communications and Intelligent Transportation infrastructure, including both fiber and wireless networks.

CTC conducted an exhaustive business case analysis and prepared expert witness testimony on behalf of the City of Alameda in a federal court case involving the business practices, business results, and ultimate sale of its fiber optic enterprise. The testimony included a comparative analysis of business models employed by public fiber networks nationwide.

CTC conducted a comprehensive FTTP and wireless networking feasibility study for Gastonia’s municipal electric utility and has advised Gastonia on the potential for federal broadband grant funding. The feasibility study included a needs assessment, a review of the competitive marketplace, market research of the City’s residential and business communities, identification and evaluation of the risks for each potential market strategy, and a review of the business cases for each strategy. CTC also determined and documented the risks and business benefits of various levels of client involvement in the broadband initiative.

In 2008, CTC performed an expert assessment of the business and marketing plan for UTOPIA—a consortium of 16 rural and suburban jurisdictions. The project included an analysis of UTOPIA market research and marketing models and an independent evaluation of UTOPIA’s business plan. Our work focused on improving the participating UTOPIA communities’ ongoing cash flow and increasing participation of households and businesses.

CTC developed a detailed business plan and marketing strategy for this non-profit hospital chain to build a fiber-optic network to serve a range of health care entities as well as public sector and non-profit anchor institutions throughout a multi-county region. 

The coastal and inland region of Northern California is rural, lightly populated, and mountainous.  Over the past two years, CTC has assisted a regional consortium of counties, towns, tribes, and non-profits to plan for a regional fiber optic and wireless infrastructure that would serve a full range of community anchor institutions.  CTC developed a strategy, marketing plan, and business plan for the first stage of that vision, which would deliver high-bandwidth services to public safety, tribal, government, and education entities throughout Humboldt County..

CTC completed a feasibility study regarding the deployment of a municipal broadband network for Gastonia’s electric utility.  This included examining both fiber optic and wireless services.  The project included a needs and market assessment, assessing the competitive environment, and preparing a prospective business case which included FTTP and a comparison of business models using FTTP and wireless networks.

In 2004, CTC staff developed CTC staff developed the business and marketing plans for a municipal utility-owned FTTP system in Pulaski, including business models, cost analysis, and probabilistic outcome analysis.  CTC staff conducted residential market research to assess the market potential for a community offering of triple play services.  CTC Principal Analyst Ron Holcomb served as President and CEO of the utility, giving him an unparalleled understanding of the strategic and day-to-day operational decisions necessary to obtain and maintain positive cash flow in a fiber-optic enterprise. Ron’s responsibilities in this role included drafting a feasibility study and business plan and managing the team that would plan, deploy and operate the fiber network.