In most smaller areas of the US, broadband is a far away illusion. The big cable companies can’t justify running lines and installing all the necessary hardware for every farmer in America. So what’s a country boy to do? If you’re Paul Conlin, of Blaze Broadband, you make your own company and sell services to the poor, dial-up savages around you. Paul, a former automotive engineer, had once shared a high speed connection with a neighbor in order to bring the cost to a relatively normal level. Once word got out that he had “teh intarwebz” he did some research into WISPs, or Wireless ISPs.
With the help of a neighbor (who’s house is on the tallest hill in the area) began broadcasting a wireless umbrella Fauquier County. He uses commercially available microwave equipment to share his incoming line with those who subscribe to his service. But that’s not all he does. He also has to take the local geography into account, and at times must bounce signals off of customer’s homes (for a discount) to access new areas. He is also the installer and tech support for Blaze Broadband.
The dishes he places on customer’s homes act just as any incoming cable connection would. Once the signal is received from the outside source, it can be used within the home like any broadband. He currently boasts 10Mbps on the site’s webpage, which is awkwardly written in Comic Sans. If you’re reading this from dial-up or Panera’s wi-fi, perhaps you should start a company like Paul. Help your neighbors.
Sources: The Washington Post, Blaze Broadband
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