al subscribers will be relatively concentrated, or a more distributed rural area. In the first case the wireless MAN is more likely to be in competition with other broadband access options, such as cable or xDSL, while, in the rural setting, wireless may be the only "last mile" access option available to prospective subscribers. Two aspects of planning need to be addressed in implementing wireless MANs - technical planning and business planning. The first looks at what is required to build an effective MAN from the technical standpoint - the physical hardware, its specification, location, installation and operation, while the second looks at what is required to operate the MAN as a successful and profitable business. The most important factors to ensure success in this area are an understanding of the market, insight into the competitive situation, and well thought out business and financial plans. Technical Planning Technical planning starts with an understanding of the customer demographics in the intended MAN operating area. Based on this understanding, together with a physical and RF survey of the target area, an equipment plan can be developed to achieve maximum effective coverage at minimum capital cost. Future growth of the MAN will be eased by also considering a cost-effective migration path in the planning at this stage - even if this may seem premature. Chapter Thirteen Site Surveying Site surveying for a wireless MAN aims to assess the physical and RF environment in which potential subscriber stations will have to operate, for example in terms of physical obstacles and potential sources of interference. A general site survey should be conducted over the whole target area at the start of the technical planning of the network, to assess the main constraints and consideration that will impact on the overall network design. Later, in the start-up and operating phase, specific surveys of subscriber sites will often be required in order to ensure that the required quality of service can be delivered before c