With a pilot project supporting seven local communities up and running, the service provider building and operating the wireless network for Oakland County, Mich., is putting a hold on further build-out until private investors commit to funding the reminder of the project's deployment.

Oakland County CIO Phil Bertolini said MichTel Communications LLC, the builder and ultimate owner of the network, is hoping to close commitments for much, if not all, of the estimated $70 million it estimates will be needed to complete the full network build-out over the next 12-18 months. Bertolini added MichTel hopes to have the funding secured in the next 30-60 days, so the current pilot can be expanded by the current 19,000 accounts that have been using the initial network free of charge since it went live last March.

Ultimately, MichTel expects to generate revenue from multiple sources, including residential and commercial subscriptions, advertising and business-oriented applications, according to Bertolini. Although the current pilot will not be expanded until the investment monies are secured, Bertolini said the communities where the network has already been deployed will continue to use the network with no interruption in service.

Oakland County also has identified a number of municipal applications that are candidates for implementation when the network is more broadly deployed across the country's 900-plus square miles, including AMR, video surveillance and mobile workforce access.