More for your money
Often the most compelling argument for fixed wireless isn't the speed but the cost for that speed.
For many companies, fixed-wireless costs are even more compelling than speed. Prices depend on the size of your business as well as the capacity and scale you need; they range from US$200 a month for a small company or home-based business that needs no more than 1Mbps to $1,500 for a large company that needs a pipe equal to multiple T1 lines.
As with other broadband services, you pay for bandwidth, not individual connections. For example, Nucentrix offers telecommuters 384Kbps downstream and 128Kbps upstream for $199.95 a month. At Winstar, customers can get T1 speeds for as low as $699 a month with a three-year contract. The number of PCs you plug into a single pipe is up to youâ€"-just know that the more people there are using it at once, the slower the connection for each one.
When it comes to installation and equipment costs, you can expect to pay anywhere from $100 to $3,000, but providers often waive these fees hoping to make up the costs through the monthly charge or additional businesses in a particular building.
Some service providers employ the people who install the equipment; others use third-party installers. Gray Hancock, senior analyst for telecom infrastructure with Current Analysis, a research firm, says it's better to go with a fixed-wireless provider that mainly employs its own installers. "If the installer is the one who also fixes the service, there's a better chance your service can be restored quickly if something happens because he or she knows where everything is and understands the technology," he says.
Service can be up and running in days if your building already has an antenna. Otherwise, Hancock says, it can take weeks or even months if the wireless provider has to negotiate with the landlord to install a rooftop antenna.
Providers typically entice businesses to sign multiyear contracts by offering discounts from 10 to 25 percent. But it's wise to start with a one-year commitment to avoid getting locked into a service that doesn't measure up.
