TowerStream, Aperto Networks Equipment Visit In Boston

While I'm in Boston, I'll be taking a tour of one of the base stations of a company called TowerStream. TowerStream is very interesting on several levels:

• They're a successful Wireless ISP
• They're competing head-to-head with, and winning business from the dominant wireline telecom providers in the area
• They're using license-exempt spectrum (5 GHz band)
• They're operating in a very RF-intense metropolitan area (Boston)
• They're using new-generation purpose-built Broadband Wireless Internet Access equipment
• They're making good use of the various advantages of their use of Broadband Wireless gives them

TowerStream uses Aperto Networks PacketWave equipment, which is pretty amazing. PacketWave enables TowerStream to make effective, reliable use of license-exempt spectrum to provide wireline-quality service at a highly-competitive price. TowerStream sells T-1 speed Internet Access to businesses for $499/month, with installation times of under two weeks. They get customers with some catchy 30-second radio spots. One point to be made here is that TowerStream simply couldn't do what they're doing with "802.11b'ish" equipment. I'll have more to say about TowerStream in a future article.

Steve Stroh

Copyright © 2002-2004 by Steve Stroh. This article originally appeared on my original Broadband Wireless Internet Access Weblog hosted on Radio Userland.