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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
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