Full Stream, Tranquility prep 4G launch
Two Columbia-based companies have picked
Aug. 15 to launch a broadband wireless network that will compete with both cellular and wired Internet services such as DSL in the residential and consumer markets. In the process, Columbia becomes one of the few markets in the country with two competing operators using a “fourth-generation” wireless technology called WiMAX.
Full Stream Wireless owns and operates the new network, but it won’t sell services directly to end users. Instead, the company will wholesale service to resellers, beginning with Tranquility Internet Services.
“Tranquility plans to market the product as Flex Wireless Broadband, Flex for short,” said Travis Schumacher, Tranquility general manager.
Full Stream’s network uses Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX). That’s the same technology used by Clearwire, which recently turned on service in parts of Columbia under the Sprint brand. At launch, Full Stream’s network will cover Ashland and central Columbia, with additional coverage scheduled for later this year.
Tranquility is still finalizing pricing for Flex and hasn’t announced speeds, but Full Stream says pricing and performance “will be comparable to DSL,” but it plans to offer four tiers of service based on speeds. The entry-level tier would be 1 Mbps download speeds and 500 kbps up, while the top tier would be whatever the network can deliver.
“It’s common to get 8 to 10 Mbps within a mile of the tower,” said Richard Cravens, a former Datastorm Technologies product manager who’s handling business development for Full Stream.
Unlike cellular, Full Stream’s network supports only data services, including video. But customers still could make calls over the network by using a voice over Internet protocol service such as Skype.
Although Tranquility hasn’t announced the types of WiMAX devices it will offer to Flex customers, Full Stream’s beta testers are currently using two types: “thumb drive”-size modems that plug into a Mac’s or Windows PC’s USB port, and a lunchbox-size outdoor unit designed to feed the signals inside a home or business. A desktop modem also will be available.
Courting the business market
To increase the service’s appeal to enterprises, Full Stream is playing up network features such as security that’s robust enough for banks to use for wire transfers. Cravens said the network can support service-level agreements, where customers get performance guarantees, such as a minimum amount of data speed.
Full Stream’s network also supports symmetrical service, where users get upload speeds that are just as fast as downstream throughput — a plus for businesses that frequently send large files and upload videos.
“We intend to address this market in a different way than Clearwire,” Cravens said.
Tranquility sees opportunity in positioning Flex partly as a backup connection for business that can’t afford to lose wired broadband for extended periods.
“A line that can’t physically be cut by an errant digger is at the top of the list when choosing a backup connection,” Schumacher said. “Flex offers an alternative at a fraction of the cost.”
Full Stream also plans to target the “machine-to-machine” market, which analyst firms such as Yankee Group predict will more than double to $6.7 billion in annual worldwide revenue between 2011 and 2015. That bullish outlook is due partly to the wide range of existing and potential M2M applications, which include connectivity for “smart” utility meters, home health care devices and digital signage.
For example, instead of running copper or fiber to support video surveillance cameras, some law enforcement agencies are using WiMAX and other wireless technologies because it’s cheaper and easier to install. Some police departments also like wireless because it gives them the flexibility to move cameras, such as into a crime hot spot.
Full Stream also is negotiating “roaming agreements,” a common practice in cellular that enables one operator’s customers to get service from another operator’s network. That will allow Full Stream customers to use their modems when traveling outside of mid-Missouri, and it provides Full Stream with additional revenue when other WiMAX operators’ customers come here.
Aug. 15 to launch a broadband wireless network that will compete with both cellular and wired Internet services such as DSL in the residential and consumer markets. In the process, Columbia becomes one of the few markets in the country with two competing operators using a “fourth-generation” wireless technology called WiMAX.
Full Stream Wireless owns and operates the new network, but it won’t sell services directly to end users. Instead, the company will wholesale service to resellers, beginning with Tranquility Internet Services.
“Tranquility plans to market the product as Flex Wireless Broadband, Flex for short,” said Travis Schumacher, Tranquility general manager.
Full Stream’s network uses Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX). That’s the same technology used by Clearwire, which recently turned on service in parts of Columbia under the Sprint brand. At launch, Full Stream’s network will cover Ashland and central Columbia, with additional coverage scheduled for later this year.
Tranquility is still finalizing pricing for Flex and hasn’t announced speeds, but Full Stream says pricing and performance “will be comparable to DSL,” but it plans to offer four tiers of service based on speeds. The entry-level tier would be 1 Mbps download speeds and 500 kbps up, while the top tier would be whatever the network can deliver.
“It’s common to get 8 to 10 Mbps within a mile of the tower,” said Richard Cravens, a former Datastorm Technologies product manager who’s handling business development for Full Stream.
Unlike cellular, Full Stream’s network supports only data services, including video. But customers still could make calls over the network by using a voice over Internet protocol service such as Skype.
Although Tranquility hasn’t announced the types of WiMAX devices it will offer to Flex customers, Full Stream’s beta testers are currently using two types: “thumb drive”-size modems that plug into a Mac’s or Windows PC’s USB port, and a lunchbox-size outdoor unit designed to feed the signals inside a home or business. A desktop modem also will be available.
Courting the business market
To increase the service’s appeal to enterprises, Full Stream is playing up network features such as security that’s robust enough for banks to use for wire transfers. Cravens said the network can support service-level agreements, where customers get performance guarantees, such as a minimum amount of data speed.
Full Stream’s network also supports symmetrical service, where users get upload speeds that are just as fast as downstream throughput — a plus for businesses that frequently send large files and upload videos.
“We intend to address this market in a different way than Clearwire,” Cravens said.
Tranquility sees opportunity in positioning Flex partly as a backup connection for business that can’t afford to lose wired broadband for extended periods.
“A line that can’t physically be cut by an errant digger is at the top of the list when choosing a backup connection,” Schumacher said. “Flex offers an alternative at a fraction of the cost.”
Full Stream also plans to target the “machine-to-machine” market, which analyst firms such as Yankee Group predict will more than double to $6.7 billion in annual worldwide revenue between 2011 and 2015. That bullish outlook is due partly to the wide range of existing and potential M2M applications, which include connectivity for “smart” utility meters, home health care devices and digital signage.
For example, instead of running copper or fiber to support video surveillance cameras, some law enforcement agencies are using WiMAX and other wireless technologies because it’s cheaper and easier to install. Some police departments also like wireless because it gives them the flexibility to move cameras, such as into a crime hot spot.
Full Stream also is negotiating “roaming agreements,” a common practice in cellular that enables one operator’s customers to get service from another operator’s network. That will allow Full Stream customers to use their modems when traveling outside of mid-Missouri, and it provides Full Stream with additional revenue when other WiMAX operators’ customers come here.