Phillip -
So I contacted some other folks and found out about long-range non-line of sight ethernet links as used for industrial communications. I found this gem of a device for under $1,000
http://www.industrialethernet.com/aw900x.htmlNow, I am located up high at my command center, and with a 20 mile Line of sight range to a lot of possible end points and at 1.5 MB/sec, it's looking like an ideal solution - best of all, it need no license, and from the looks of it, it's a simple enough setup.
I think we can get a grant for this equipment, if we make it some kind of a shared resource. Looking into it.