Why Wireless?
Many times we are asked why you should consider wireless for your Broadband Internet needs? In this article we attempt to answer some of the frequently asked questions and talk about the advantages and disadvantages of using WiMAX and wireless for your Internet services. If after reading the article you have any questions email soc@slcsecurity.com for additional information or to get answers to your specific questions.
Why Wireless?
One of the first questions we get asked is why wireless? Wireless is great because you don't have to worry about the lines running into your home. In DSL technologies for instance the phone company must provide the lines into your home that provide your service. In a wireless configuration there are no wires. Since we utilize licensed spectrum there is little to no interference so you get a reliable connection that is stable. Unlike cellular communications whereas you are on the move and in which you must be close to the cell tower, our technology covers a 30 mile radius from the tower site. This ensures that you have reliable bandwidth regardless of distance from the tower. It is true the farther away from the tower your location the lower the bandwidth so we have adopted a policy of ensuring that you get the advertised bandwidth at least 90% of the time. In addition we ensure that our tower sites are not oversubscribed. We only setup a set number of clients per cell site to ensure high quality connections for all customers.
Are there disadvantages to wireless?
Absolutely there are disadvantages with all technologies. Sure you can get coverage from other technologies such as cable modems and DSL. Some of these technologies may be faster than our wireless service but we can provide services in locations not serviced by cable modems, fiber or other technologies. Fortunately we ensure that your signal strengths are higher than that required of other wireless services. By ensuring good coverage from the start we don't have issues with network downtime and outages due to things like weather and storms.
The Benefits of Wireless
The wireless services we utilize were put into service by FCC rule to cover areas where there are little or no broadband options. That does not mean that we won't cover areas that have options just that we want to do our part to get coverage out to areas in which there are fewer options or limited bandwidth due to distance from the phone company or cable company main networks. Using wireless we can beam the bandwidth to your location. The FCC encourages Internet providers to provide service in all areas and this is the main benefit to our service. We heavily focus on areas where connections are limited to ensure we are doing our part to get Internet connectivity to areas that are under served.
How does your Cable TV offering work?
First NC Broadband does not directly provide cable TV services. We do however allow cable operators to utilize our network to get cable TV to locations that cannot get cable TV access. Through partnerships and third party services we can provide up to 40 channels of cable TV sent to your location over our IP network. This offering is available to all of our service area and for up to 2 television sets per location. Additional TV's may be added but you must purchase an additional Internet account to support the 3rd and 4th connections. Customers are limited to a total of 4 TV boxes and 2 Internet connections per address. Our cable TV service is provided similar to other streaming video but is sent in high definition over the network.
You don't service my area but I am interested
If we don't service your area currently we do have a solution. If you are in a development and can get 5 customers in your development to agree to use our services we will install an access point at your location. Installation takes between 60-90 days and is contingent on our ability to provide hard wired service at your location. Our backbone network in North Carolina covers Raleigh, Charlotte, Greensboro, Wilson and Wilmington. Typically we can reach all areas of the state via wireless from one of our main hubs. For more information email soc@slcsecurity.com to inquire about us adding a new location in your neighborhood if you are interested in the service. We would be more than happy to present our solutions to your homeowners association. Again we only need 5 customers at your location to justify the addition of a network connection in a specific neighborhood.
Is cable faster than your wireless?
Sometimes yes and sometimes no. It depends on the cable operator. We have a very low subscription to tower rate to ensure quality of service to in many cases our systems operate faster than cable. Customers can expect to receive up to 40MB/s sustained bandwidth on our network in most cases. Unlike cable your connection is dedicated so your not competing with other subscribers in your neighborhood like you would on a cable head end.
We will continue to write articles so consumers can better understand what it is we do to provide services.
