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): 
 
 Your own property - No permission needed. Start here: your house, a friend's house with a tall tree or roof peak. 
 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. 
 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." 
 Municipal property - Parks department, public works, and fire departments sometimes allow installations for emergency preparedness benefit. Requires formal request and sometimes a simple MOU. 
 Water towers - Managed by municipal water utilities. Most require insurance documentation and a formal site agreement. 
 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