Infrastructure Agreements and Permissions

Getting your repeater or backbone node onto high-elevation infrastructure dramatically improves coverage - but it requires agreements with property owners.

Types of Infrastructure Sites

The best sites for backbone nodes (roughly in order of typical access difficulty):

1. Your own property - No permission needed. Start here: your house, a friend's house with a tall tree or roof peak.
2. Amateur radio repeater sites - Existing ham radio clubs often have hilltop sites with tower space, power, and sometimes internet. Approach club leadership and offer to coordinate frequencies.
3. Commercial buildings - Restaurants, shops with flat roofs. Pitch: "We're a community communications nonprofit. We'd like to install a small weatherproof box the size of a paperback book on your rooftop. No wiring to your building, runs on its own battery/solar."
4. Municipal property - Parks department, public works, and fire departments sometimes allow installations for emergency preparedness benefit. Requires formal request and sometimes a simple MOU.
5. Water towers - Managed by municipal water utilities. Most require insurance documentation and a formal site agreement.
6. Cell towers - Possible but expensive. Tower lease rates start at $500-2000/month.

What to Include in a Site Agreement

Even for informal arrangements, a simple one-page written agreement protects both parties:

• Description of the hardware (size, weight, power source)
• Exact mounting location
• Duration (1 year renewable, or at-will with 30-day notice)
• Your responsibility for maintenance and removal
• Liability limitation (you carry renter's/general liability insurance)
• Contact information for both parties

Insurance Considerations

Most institutional partners will ask whether you carry liability insurance. Options:

• ARRL membership - Provides $1M liability insurance for ham radio operations. Relevant if your network has ham involvement.
• Nonprofit umbrella policy - If you've formed a 501(c)(3), a nonprofit general liability policy is typically $400-800/year for small organizations.
• Personal homeowner/renter's policy - Sometimes covers volunteer activities; check with your insurer.

Maintaining Relationships with Site Hosts

• Annual "thank you" message or card
• Invite them to community events
• Update them when you add features or upgrade hardware
• Be responsive if they ever have concerns - a 24-hour response time builds trust
• Proactively reach out before any work at the site; never surprise a host