I recently came across this article at PC MAG

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2340369,00.asp

“His problem is overcoming the perception that WISPs are just know-nothings with routers. “Sometimes I don’t like the term because people think of it as small-time,” he says. “We have tons of wireless infrastructure. The point is, a WISP can involve hybrid networks bringing infrastructure up a lot quicker than waiting for a phone line.” In fact, one of the company’s top testimonials came from AT&T, which utilized Rapid Systems’ technology to unwire the White House press corps during a presidential visit. Still, Jurman points out that most people’s needs aren’t . . .”

I find that a conception of Wireless Internet Service Provider that is baffeling.  I find the highest problem with a small time WISP is the same problem the big boys have and that is solid customer service.  I believe this balance between providing a profitable service and providing the customer’s definition of good customer service is sometimes a delicate tightrope for a small business to walk.  If you can walk the line so to speak you can do well but in the world of WISP, I believe the future will point to these as the bread and butter of Internet access to rural America and other parts of the world where the cost of wired/fiber optic and the limitations of satellite make these Service Providers kings of their domain.

Glenn Scott

No usually large scale deals between companies bears little significance to everyones day to day life. But not this deal, not this time. Sprint’s and Clearwire’s agreement puts them in the drivers seat to possibly launch the largest broadband wireless internet provider in the nation using state of the art WiMax technology. This technology backed by industry heavyweights like Intel, Microsoft and Sprint have pitted the otherwise small Nextel/Sprint clearly in a let’s push our advantage against the larger incumbents including AT&T and Verizon.

If you look at Clearwire.com you can get an idea of the competition we are looking at for the Broadband Internet, Phone and even cable duopolies currently operating in much of the Country. Not to mention the literally millions of people left in the Internet dark ages from their homes due to cost and lack of availability of inexpensive broadband.

What does this mean to you and to me? Well it means more opportunity, more availability and better communication and information for all. It means rural customers won’t be left in the lurch depending on dial up when you offer up an informative video, pdf or other online documentation of your product and service. Did you want to see that horse I had for sale, oh a brochure, sure just send it to me in the mail. A few days or a week later when it comes, does the customer even want to see your horse now?

There are innovations and opportunities afforded by a new universal broadband that were inconceivable before the proliferation of the Internet age, but now that Google and Microsoft are two of the largest profit based US companies even outstripping GM, Ford and many other previous stalwarts.

In the short term Sprint and Clearwire (Clearwire Wireless) plans to launch Broadband Wireless using Wimax technology throughout the United States in Select markets.

“Sprint, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Bright House Networks will enter into wholesale agreements with the new Clearwire, becoming 4G providers of new Clearwire’s mobile WiMAX service.”
from the Press release – what does that mean? It means you can expect expanded service offerings from Comcast, Time Warner and Bright House to rebrand Clearwire’s service into homes throughout the country.

Since this deal doesn’t cement until the 4th quarter this year roll outs are only scheduled in a few select markets

But keep tabs on Clearwire, they have more Wireless Broadband Access than any other current provider and this step looks to have them leap frog over the competition. Well at least until Verizon and AT&T roll out LTE (Long Term Evolution)

“The reason we’re excited about WiMAX is because I think it is a disruptor. . . It is very affordable and as a result, you can now connect rural areas and metro areas. Furthermore, it is complimentary with existing technologies.”

http://gigaom.com/2007/10/03/for-motorola-wimax-promise-of-a-comeback/

With this simple Mashup, you can click on the Icons and bring up a snippet of the post and choose to visit the post if you so desire! Now this is a nice way to find your local Wireless provider, but of course it isn’t perfect. My mashup only supports 1 set of Geo coordinates per Post, so large providers are very underrepresented, you need to search for the largest nearby city to see if one is listed or use the regular search if I haven’t updated your provider in your area yet. I promise, I’ll be working to update every provider into the mashup over the next month!

And all future providers of course I’ll Geo Code so they’ll show up by default!

Well I hope you like the mashup. . . feel free to ask if you have any questions. . .

Go to the Mashup Here:

C

Go Zoe Wireless provides broadband access throughout East Texas and I’ve secured and exclusive e-mail interview.

1. How long have you been interested in technology and providing wireless
internet in particular?

Ashton: 5 yrs at least

2. What experiences have prepared you for running Gozoe Wireless today?

Ashton: Truly just running any business helps and Ihave managed and run 4
businesses in different fields before buying my own Computer retail store.
I have also done a lot of simple wireless networks in homes and estates
involving indoor and outdoor having lots of problems which equates to lots
of research and learning.
3. What areas do you serve currently?

Ashton: Marshall, Scottsville, Woodlawn, Leigh community, Shadowood estates, Cross
Roads, Hidden Lake and Underwood Road, Industrial Park, ETBU Campus.
4. Where are you planning to expand to next?Ashton: Elysian Fields, Harleton, Jefferson, Hallsville, Carthage, Waskom.

5. What are the advantages of your service over satellite or other
broadband providers?

Ashton: We are not only the least expensive “last mile” solution we are by far the
fastest or largest bandwidth capable solution. We have extremely low
latency for gamers which is a real problem for satellite also VPN
connections for businesses drop with high latency.

6. What does your service generally cost?

Ashton: Basic Residential is $49.95/month

7. What are the installation fees if any?

$120

8. How fast is your service? What is the upload and download?

Ashton: Dedicated 512 up and down bursting to 1.5MB up and down
we can give up to 10/MB

9. What made East Texas a popular market you thought needed to be served?

Ashton: Basically no one else was doing it and the 900MHZ frequency just got solid
and affordable which is necessary because of the thick foliage in East
Texas.

10. I know you recently blanketed the campus of East Texas Baptist
University with Wireless Access, what can you say about this partnership
agreement and how it benefits the Faculty, Students and Staff at the
campus.
Ashton: This is a unique situation we are taking an undue load from the
University’s IT department which found itself supporting an entertainment technology more than a research tool. Which is more our specialty plus we were able to stay in our specialty by providing something it did notcurrent ly have wireless everywhere on campus. We also are going to provide
more than twice the bandwidth the students currently have access to now.

11. Do you foresee the need to acquire wireless spectrum such as that
being vacated by Analog Television broadcasts to secure your niche wireless
access for the Rural East Texas consumer?

Ashton: No there is not a problem or not too much in the unlicensed bands yet.

12. How then do you feel you can continue to compete when large carriers
are sure to roll out WIMAX in the future?

Ashton: First of all we are already here it will be hard to convince people to drop
a first class system that is working well. Plus cost for Wimax won’t be
cheap at first.

13. What advantages does your service currently offer, over your current competition?

Ashton: We can install very quickly and go where many of them cannot and the ones that can go everywhere we strongly outperform.

14. What do you foresee as your competitive edge as other carriers roll out Wimax nationwide?

Ashton: We are wimax ready when it is cost effective and widespread we can change a radio card in our Access points and we are wimax ready just that simple. We are completely wimax ready at ETBU.

13. I know your service provides Internet for many areas of East Texas,
what is your service’s contact information for anyone that’s interested?

Gozoe Wireless LLP
2660 east end blvd S.
suite 113
Marshall, texas 75672
903-935-0876

Click through to the Provider’s Post to see the details of where they provide service!

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According to Daily Wireless, the Universal Service Fund is broken Big time!

This hard hitting article quotes Congressional representatives knocking the lack of good rural broadband access, and the ineptitude of the administration of the fund, which was setup to provide Rural Internet access.

This may be little surprise to you my faithful Find Wireless Internet readers, but a survey quoted in the article indicates only “and just one out of sixty-nine loans went to wiring a region without any broadband service whatsoever.”

In fact the study quoted found that “. . .more than half the funds instead went to urban broadband deployment, . . . “

So what do you think should Congress step in and fix the Universal Service Fund?

Is it Congress and the Government’s job at all to provide rural broadband access?

What are your thoughts and comments?

Editor:

I know if you have’nt visited this site before then there’s nothing too suprising about it. But if you have seen findwirelessinternet.info in the past you know that there have been some pretty substantial changes!

Remarkably for the past year and half I’ve ran the site bandwidth and information myself without any payment nor donations for time, bandwidth or server space.

Now I wouldn’t have started the site if I couldn’t afford to do this, so don’t feel bad for me, I really wanted to list as many providers as I could on my own nickle.

This past March, I decided to re-investigate the possibility of offering some advertising on the site. Now I don’t have a large audience so I didn’t have the luxury of selling individual adds to large contributors. . ..

But I did find a solution I hope you don’t find too displeasing or annoying. Google Adsense! The information and ads provided by Google will help this site continue to run for many years into the future. I hope you will consider Google for your own site if you are a publisher or consider advertising on my site if you ar an advertiser. By absolutely no means would I encourage you my faithful readers to click or otherwise artificially inflate my Google Adsense clicks! Don’t do it I plead and beg of you. . . Only click if you are really really interested in an advertiser.

You will also notice my plain jane white search bar is gone replaced with a Google Search, be sure and click www.findwirelessinternet.info to search this site, but feel free to Google the WWW as well.

 Update:!  I found that Google Search on my site was not always returning the level of results and posts that I was expecting it too, therefore causing visitors to miss needed listings of providers.  I’ve moved back to the default WordPress Search which does a much better job of showing every matching post.

Thanks for your time! And again