MAXING OUT with 4G speeds

THE TECHNOLOGICAL landscape is changing, and everyone is plugged in to watch it happen. Manufacturers are engineering ordinary appliances with Internet-accessing capabilities, and TVs are prepackaged with video-streaming apps such as Hulu and Netflix. And although a fridge that can access Twitter is probably off the average consumer’s radar, it’s undeniable the Internet is woven into every aspect of daily life.

Now, more than ever, people are connected. And they want to be connected quickly.

In August 2011, Full Stream Wireless began marketing its new brand of 4G wireless technologies to mid-Missouri, run on Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, or WiMAX. Full Stream is a wholesaler to a number of Columbia-based retailers, namely Quantum Wireless, Tranquility, Tech 2 and Izones, who directly sell to customers.

Wi-Fi coverage is a 100- to 300-foot bubble, but WiMAX is more of a blanket covering most of Columbia and Ashland. Full Stream and its retailers’ modems are portable and will work anywhere within range of the towers; the pocket-sized options are completely mobile, and the larger options just need an electrical outlet.

4G service without the cellphone

Smartphone and tablet use is at an all-time high, but these devices have yet to completely reach the functionality of computers. Laptop and desktop computers have physical keyboards, USB ports and disk drives but lack the ability to access 4G Internet like smart devices can. Columbia WiMAX service providers have changed this.

Full Stream CEO Kent Froeschle says they recognized that there was a growing problem of an increasingly mobile society that spends less time behind a desktop, a society with a great need to be constantly connected. What if a laptop could access the Internet the same way a cellphone does?

That’s basically how WiMAX works. Wireless modems or antennas pick up the 4G signal, which allows computers to tap into the network independently from smart devices ranging from the size of an eraser to the size of a book.

“Because people are on the move, they aren’t tied down to a cubicle,” says Quantum Wireless CEO Robert Olson. “They need to move and do business remotely. It’s a completely new era.”

Local businesses such as Precision Construction are discovering the benefits of portable Internet and implementing it in their day-to-day routines. Nine months ago, owner Jim Pallock was growing unsatisfied with wired Internet options in his area.

“We were basically seeing all the normal ISPs unable to provide any speed capable of supporting our company,” says Pallock, who now uses Quantum Wireless Internet. “We needed the capability to do functions outside of the office, something to fill an important gap.”

Precision employees often move between the office and construction sites but must be constantly connected to the home office. Pallock says they couldn’t afford to waste valuable time by driving back and forth between construction sites and the office.

“Now we transfer spreadsheets, Word documents, customer information, and most importantly, we can access files on our network away from the office,” Pallock says.

Copper-free Internet

WiMAX is not Wi-Fi. Routers that broadcast Wi-Fi use a cabled connection, which runs data through wires to reach customers. WiMAX is broadcast from towers through radio waves, which means there are no cables susceptible to outside damage.

“WiMAX won’t go down in storms, if a tree falls on a power line or a gopher chews through it,” Olson says. “We’re up all the time unless something tragic happens, like a tower falls down.”

Wires are damageable, and building a wired infrastructure is expensive. For those living in certain areas, wired Internet may be slow or unavailable because of exorbitant setup costs.
“If you’re far from the DSL node with copper wiring, you can pay for a premium plan but not get premium service,” Froeschle says. “Telephone and cable companies say up to 10 MB per second, but this is up to, not a guarantee.”

Three to five MB per second is the average speed, which is quick enough to stream HD movies. Speeds may be quicker or slower depending on certain factors.

Because bandwidth speed is variable, Froeschle says at Full Steam they work hard to figure out what’s best for their customers. According to Froeschle, retailers do this by factoring in customers’ speed needs, distance from the tower and other geographical factors that might get in the way of a signal. All customers have a 30- to 60-day period to assess the speeds they’re getting at home or wherever they take their modem, which allows them time do decide if WiMAX will work for their location.

A custom fit

When Full Stream originally introduced 4G WiMAX to Columbia, only Tranquility Internet was offering plans in the new network. Now that more customers are catching onto wireless, more companies are cropping up in Columbia and offering varied options, each a bit different for consumers based upon their size and need.

“They all work in a different way, each retail arrangement has different strengths, and they market to those strengths,” Froeschle says.

Columbia-based Tech 2 installs large networks, while Quantum Wireless, Tranquility and Izones offer varied plans and options for residences and businesses. Pay-as-you-go, monthly and unlimited data plans are available; Olson says he believes Internet service plans will soon mimic utility bills.

“The average household uses about 23 to 27 GB per month,” Olson says. “We can look at customers’ usage for their first month, see what amount of data they’re using and alter their plan to fit their personal use.”

Custom tailoring and attention to customer service are important to the Columbia retailers that are offering wireless WiMAX Internet. Each company is based locally and strives to ensure its customers aren’t encountering an excessive amount of down time.

Full Stream uses two towers in Columbia and one in Ashland. They’re looking to expand coverage in the future and potentially offer coverage outside of Columbia.

“If you get a plant that grows too fast, it ends up being spindly,” Froeschle says. “[If you’re] slow and steady and pay attention, the plant can be small but sturdy. Deep roots and quality of growth is what’s important.”

For now, Columbia’s WiMAX retailers are focusing on providing reliable service to consumers in their current range.