5 ms·

In Seattle we have a startup called Spectrum Networks which offers 100mbps fiber and microwave internet to a small set of condos and apartments. Last I checked,

by Timmy_C 14y ago

In Seattle we have a startup called Spectrum Networks which offers 100mbps fiber and microwave internet to a small set of condos and apartments. Last I checked, it was a 9 person operation. I don't see why more startups like this haven't cropped up in other towns.

talmand 14y ago
Off the top of my head, three reasons. Local government doesn't allow competition against the big company they have some form of agreement with. Big company buys them out to shut them down so they don't have to compete with it. Big company crushes them via pricing reduction (until competition is gone so it goes back up), sicks the lawyers on them (doesn't matter if valid or not, defending oneself in court is expensive), or a highly expensive negative PR campaign. It all depends on the state, county, and/or city. What can work in one area might not be feasible or legal in other areas. It's a huge multi-headed issue in the US.
- seiji 14y ago
  Disclaimer: I used to work at a wireless ISP and I am going to decorate your comment. Oddly, local government has no say over it. As long as you can legally place antennas and/or dishes in the right spots, you can do whatever you like. You can run on crappy 2.4GHz or 5GHz radios or use more fancy FCC leased spectrum 30GHz-60GHz radios or even line-of-sight optical lasers. You will typically run a 20Mbps to 1Gbps connection to an apartment/condo complex then feed individual units from there (i.e. each customer isn't getting their own wireless connection unless you are a fancy business paying for that level of service). Big companies don't care much about tiny ISPs here and there. What's more likely is the biggest of the tiny ISPs will buy you to goose their numbers. If your tiny ISP is aggressive in servicing buildings, you may see Comcast running counter promotions against your pricing. Welcome to the free market.
  - talmand 14y ago
    You know, you are quite right. My thinking with the local government bit is in terms of normal cable service, not this type of wireless service.
andr3w321 14y ago
I live here in Seattle and would love an alternative to comcast, however, I don't think this is it. I googled them, looked at their website and see nothing about pricing, how to sign up and their links under "Services" on their homepage don't even work.
- seiji 14y ago
  Well, they have to light up your entire building first. It's no something you can initiate as a single person. You have to get your apartment/condo/mdu management to send them some flirty emails.
- mratzloff 14y ago
  CenturyLink recently hooked up my block in West Seattle to fiber.
RyJones 14y ago
There's also CondoInternet. http://www.condointernet.net/ http://www.condointernet.net/
- Timmy_C 14y ago
  Yes, Spectrum Networks is the other half of Condointernet.net.
  - RyJones 14y ago
    I apologize, I searched the Condo Internet site for any mention of SN.
gcb 14y ago
because they will not provide a good service. period. The same reason big companies have an incentive to charge you high and provide little, because they are your only choice. at my last apartment i was FORCED to use the services of a local provider. the rent contract said something like "you are already paying $70 for basic internet and tv. you can upgrade with them, or hire something else but you will still be paying the $70" anyway, they were extremely bad. awful service. insisted on configuring the modem on their end with a fixed mac address... had to keep changing the mac everything i switched routers or wanted to connect a computer directly. somebody else would have to waste 10~20min on the phone instead. Service offline everytime it rained (not much a problem in LA) or got too windy (couple times a week). Several unannounced upgrades downtime...

by Timmy_C 14y ago

talmand 14y ago

Off the top of my head, three reasons. Local government doesn't allow competition against the big company they have some form of agreement with. Big company buys them out to shut them down so they don't have to compete with it. Big company crushes them via pricing reduction (until competition is gone so it goes back up), sicks the lawyers on them (doesn't matter if valid or not, defending oneself in court is expensive), or a highly expensive negative PR campaign. It all depends on the state, county, and/or city. What can work in one area might not be feasible or legal in other areas. It's a huge multi-headed issue in the US.

seiji 14y ago
Disclaimer: I used to work at a wireless ISP and I am going to decorate your comment. Oddly, local government has no say over it. As long as you can legally place antennas and/or dishes in the right spots, you can do whatever you like. You can run on crappy 2.4GHz or 5GHz radios or use more fancy FCC leased spectrum 30GHz-60GHz radios or even line-of-sight optical lasers. You will typically run a 20Mbps to 1Gbps connection to an apartment/condo complex then feed individual units from there (i.e. each customer isn't getting their own wireless connection unless you are a fancy business paying for that level of service). Big companies don't care much about tiny ISPs here and there. What's more likely is the biggest of the tiny ISPs will buy you to goose their numbers. If your tiny ISP is aggressive in servicing buildings, you may see Comcast running counter promotions against your pricing. Welcome to the free market.
- talmand 14y ago
  You know, you are quite right. My thinking with the local government bit is in terms of normal cable service, not this type of wireless service.

andr3w321 14y ago

I live here in Seattle and would love an alternative to comcast, however, I don't think this is it. I googled them, looked at their website and see nothing about pricing, how to sign up and their links under "Services" on their homepage don't even work.

seiji 14y ago
Well, they have to light up your entire building first. It's no something you can initiate as a single person. You have to get your apartment/condo/mdu management to send them some flirty emails.
mratzloff 14y ago
CenturyLink recently hooked up my block in West Seattle to fiber.

RyJones 14y ago

There's also CondoInternet. http://www.condointernet.net/ http://www.condointernet.net/

Timmy_C 14y ago
Yes, Spectrum Networks is the other half of Condointernet.net.
- RyJones 14y ago
  I apologize, I searched the Condo Internet site for any mention of SN.

gcb 14y ago

because they will not provide a good service. period. The same reason big companies have an incentive to charge you high and provide little, because they are your only choice. at my last apartment i was FORCED to use the services of a local provider. the rent contract said something like "you are already paying $70 for basic internet and tv. you can upgrade with them, or hire something else but you will still be paying the $70" anyway, they were extremely bad. awful service. insisted on configuring the modem on their end with a fixed mac address... had to keep changing the mac everything i switched routers or wanted to connect a computer directly. somebody else would have to waste 10~20min on the phone instead. Service offline everytime it rained (not much a problem in LA) or got too windy (couple times a week). Several unannounced upgrades downtime...