Faster, faster
It's not just the old wire-line connections that are slow. Ever try getting DSL hooked up?
For lots of companies, the move to fixed wireless comes out of desperation and frustrationâ€"-hulking, old-line telecom companies that can't respond fast enough and endless waits for DSL and other emerging broadband technologies. Trying to get DSL service has proved especially infuriating for many businesses. Take commercial photographer Marty Perlman. Southwestern Bell, his local phone company, initially told him DSL service was available, but the installer was a no-show after a six-month wait.
So last summer he signed up for wireless broadband service from T-Speed. Perlman pays US$49.95 a month for a connection speed of up to 1.5Mbps. He also paid $105 for installation and equipment.
The arrangement wasn't exactly a match made in heaven, but Perlman was willing to cut the provider some slack. The installer wasn't very good, he says. And the network has gone down twice so farâ€"-without warningâ€"-for maintenance.
But after expressing his dissatisfaction to company reps, Perlman expects he'll get better service in the future. In his view, such glitches are minor trade-offs for speed. Seven 5MB photos he recently sent to a client in Canada took only minutes to send, while they would have taken hours with his old wire-line connection.
