What is "Wireless Internet Access"? What type of equipment do I need? Do mobile & wireless telephones affect the signal? How close must I be to the PoP (Point of Presence)? Is it safe? Is it reliable? How does it compare to DSL and cable? How secure is the signal? Will I have to learn anything new to use this system? What are some benefits to having fast Internet access? What does the equipment look like? Do I need a phone line? Is Internet access unlimited? Is this the same as "satellite" Internet? Can I run servers on this connection? How long will it take to install? What about lightning protection? Is it available in my area? What is the downside with wireless Internet? How does this access method compare to Cable and/or DSL? How much does it cost? What is "Wireless Internet Access"? Wireless Internet access is a form of high speed, or Broadband Internet access, that uses a radio frequency instead of phone or cable lines. Skytech Communications Inc. is providing high-speed cost effective solutions for Internet access via wireless, NO PHONE LINES NEEDED! There is no need to worry about slow downloads, busy signals, or disconnections anymore, with Wireless Internet your computer is always on the Internet. Using leading edge technology, Skytech Communications, Inc. is the first company to bring cost effective, high speed Internet access to Springfield MA. What equipment is needed? The customer will need a radio, antenna, and a broadband router (if you want multiple computers on the connection). How fast is Wireless Internet? A wireless Internet connection's speed allows the customer to connect at speeds anywhere from 128kbps all the way up to 1.5Mbps, which is equal to the speed of a T1 connection. What type of equipment do I need? The wireless equipment necessary to operate the connection is provided by Skytech Communications. There is also an option to purchase the equipment for a reduced monthly rate. If you wish to share the internet connection with multiple computers, the customer will need to provide a broadband router or gateway. Do mobile & wireless telephones affect the signal? No. The range for 2.4 wireless mobile phones is very limited (less than 2 watt output). Our signal will not be affected when these types of devices are used. Other 2.4 devices have 10 channels they can choose to operate on so that our signal will not effect their operation either. How close must I be to the PoP? Proximity to the pop is not measured by distance, but rather by "line of sight." Unfortunately, there will be places that will be impossible to service with wireless. Being in a low spot will not help, unless of course you're right next to the hill where a broadcast point is. We have made a commitment to take the wireless service wherever there is enough demand to justify the expense of creating a repeating point. Currently, we have PoPs located at TowerSquare in downtown Springfield, and Soldier's Home in Holyoke, MA. We can just about service everybody that wishes service. A site survey is done to see if you're serviceable to the pop. Is it safe? This is Spread Spectrum Frequency Hopping 2.4 GHZ signaling. It changes channels dozens of times a second in a secret order. It is much safer than wire-based communications for security. We can inexpensively build a firewall computer for your business computers to increase your security from the rest of the Internet. We can also build office Internet servers for mail and other communications into the firewall computer as well. Is it reliable? This equipment is very reliable. Your connection won't be affected by broken poles, car crashes, floods, or utility workers. This wireless networking equipment was developed and used as a low power, high security, and high frequency military communications, and has been commercialized and legalized by Silicon Valley companies. How does it compare to DSL and cable? Wireless is more reliable than DSL and cable, and capable of T1 speeds in both directions. It is easier to upgrade, as it doesn't rely on a wiring system with many potential points of failure. It is also available in many places where cable data hasn't arrived and isn't likely to. Wireless is more widely available in rural areas and is less expensive. DSL is limited to the copper plant in use by the telephone company and is not currently available in most areas. Even when DSL does arrive, it will not be deployed outside the zones that are close in to the CO. Wireless will go anywhere you can create a repeating point. How secure is the signal? We think it's secure enough for most uses. The equipment was designed by an Israeli outfit for use in tank-to-tank, and tank to HQ, real-time communication for telemetry and computer communication. The nature of wireless makes it very difficult to intercept. Each unit is programmable to use different frequency hopping patterns within the 79 frequencies in the spectrum, and to hop between these frequencies at 10-30 times per second. If this is not enough security, encryption can be used to further secure the signal at the radio level. In addition, more robust encryption boxes can be positioned at each end of the link to further protect the signal. Will I have to learn anything new to use this system? If you already know how to use a Web browser you will find our system totally transparent. You are always online. You click on your browser icon, and you are online with no delay- no waiting for a free line or a connection. What are some benefits to having fast Internet access? Many times you might find yourself sitting on your computer waiting up to 5 minutes just for one home page to load. Most of the time is because it is "Content Rich," meaning it has many pictures and active moving things, sometimes even sound. This makes it very hard for a slow modem connection to process so much information. As the Internet evolves, so will "content." People are finding new ways to express themselves through "content rich pages," leaving modem users frustrated because they have to wait for the pages to load. With fast Wireless Internet access, there is no need to wait. You can play real time videos, make Internet phone calls without breaking up, connect to VPNs without disconnections, access online database systems, send and receive files at higher speeds, and best of all, general browsing is more enjoyable. What does the equipment look like? The antennas range in size from a flat panel 12" x 12" x 2", to a 32" x 24" grilled directional unit. They are all very lightweight and are no more difficult to install that a DirecTV dish. The cables used for exterior mounting come in set lengths, but can be ordered longer, and sometime shorter depending on the application. The cables are 3/4" and 5/8" in diameter, with the connectors being slightly larger. The cable can be fairly stiff and should not be bent too sharply. RG-58 and RG-213 are the two most common cable types. Do I need a phone line? NO! A phone like is not needed. The Wireless Internet connection is bi-directional, meaning your unit will send and receive information, making it a complete solution for Internet connectivity. Is Internet access unlimited? With Wireless Internet access your computer is always connected. There are no time limits or restrictions of how long you can use it. Your computer is connected 24 hours a day 7 days a week 365 days a year Is this the same as "satellite" Internet? No! Wireless Internet is bi-directional unlike satellite solutions, where you download via the dish antenna, but you are also connected by phone line to the Internet for uploading information. This wireless solution eliminates the need for any dedicated phone lines, and therefore reduces your costs, while providing better data rates. Can I run servers on this connection? Yes. Clients wishing to run servers over a wireless link will need to pay for that ability. The running of servers of any kind is prohibited in the basic wireless access plan. How long will it take to install? Once your location has been surveyed and approved for wireless, a date will be set for installing your unit. When a service tech is on-site it could take as little as 1 hour. More complex installations may take longer. Each location and building will be specific to its own needs and obstacles. What about lightning protection? Lightning arrestors are available for the external antenna units. Further measures are recommended to protect your entire system. A surge arrestor is available for the Ethernet connections, as well as power and phone connections. We highly recommend that be used, in addition to battery backup for the power pack on the radios and computers. Is it available in my area? A site survey will need to be performed for almost all potential customers to evaluate the ability to use wireless at your location. A site survey must be done prior to installing any wireless hardware. What is the downside with wireless Internet? Wireless Internet connections require direct line of sight. As a general rule, if you cannot get direct line of sight from your location to the PoP, you can't get wireless access. In some instances you might be able to see the PoP in the winter but in the summer when the leaves come out your connection will be lost. Installation costs, can vary greatly (depending on location) but can be justified by saving in recurring telephone costs, and increase in speed and reliability. How does this access method compare to Cable and/or DSL? As with any Internet connection your provider is sharing access (bandwidth) with all of it's customers, so your most limiting factor is the amount of bandwidth the ISP has available. Cable and DSL charge enticingly low rates for what they call "high speed access," which might seem like a good thing, but charging so little means there is not enough money coming in to provide the bandwidth needed for your customers, so typically you will find your connection slows drastically when other people are using it heavily. You seldom actually get the speed they boast you will. You get what you pay for. You'll realize this to be true as more and more cable and DSL providers are putting speed controls on the customers. DSL has a major limitation - Distance. DSL slows down the further away from the Telco CO your connection is, and doesn't work at all if you are more than 18,000 feet away (About 3 to 4 miles). How much does it cost? As mentioned above, you get what you pay for. Bandwidth costs money, and by charging a little more realistically for it, you get better connection rates. Rates can start as low as $85 per month, although some locations are hard to reach, and will require additional hardware to make the connection, this will change as the infrastructure grows and the coverage will widen.