Vistabeam Receives WISPA Operator of the Year Award
DALLAS - Vistabeam has been named as the 2010 Wireless Operator of the Year by WISPA, the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association. The award was presented on November 2 at the Broadband Expo, during the WISPA Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet. The WISPA Operator of the Year Award is given for "outstanding wireless broadband accomplishments, excellent customer service and contributions to WISPA and its membership." "Receiving this award is a great honor," says Matt Larsen, Owner of Vistabeam. "There are many outstanding wireless providers across the country, and it feels great to be recognized for our contributions to the industry." Larsen is one of the founding members of WISPA and a past president of the organization. "We would not be here if it weren't for Matt Larsen's unbelievable hours of dedication," said WISPA Executive Director Rick Harnish. In addition to his work with WISPA and Vistabeam, Larsen also operates the WISP Directory Site at <http://www.wispdirectory.com/> http://www.wispdirectory.com/ - a comprehensive list of all WISPs in the US, writes the Wireless Cowboys blog at <http://www.wirelesscowboys.com/> http://www.wirelesscowboys.com/ - a journal of stories from the WISP Frontier, and serves as a board member of Twin Cities Development, a Western Nebraska economic development group. Vistabeam began offering fixed wireless broadband service in May of 2004, with a main office in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. The Vistabeam coverage area expanded rapidly throughout Western Nebraska, Northern Colorado and Eastern Wyoming and currently covers an area of nearly 25,000 square miles. Vistabeam maintains over 1500 miles of redundant microwave backhaul networks and three separate fiber connections to the Internet backbone. Customer support is provided online and through a call center in Gering, Nebraska. Vistabeam also has several in-house service technicians and subcontractors in Gering, Casper, Laramie and Sidney to help with installation and maintenance needs. "I feel very fortunate that we have been able to provide a valuable service to our communities, generate enough work to support 15 people and continue to grow our business during a challenging economic climate," says Larsen. Vistabeam has received broadband grants from the Nebraska Internet Enhancement Fund and has participated in the economic development programs of Scottsbluff, Gering and Oshkosh in Nebraska and Lusk, Wyoming. "Economic development is about more than throwing government money at a problem. We are blessed to have visionary and pragmatic economic development groups in our area. They have been a great help to us, and we have repaid the loans with interest and fulfilled the terms of our grant obligations. That is how economic development should work." Fixed wireless broadband uses highly directional radios located at the customer premises to connect to a network of access points. By using high gain antennas to maintain a better signal, fixed wireless broadband is faster and more reliable than the mobile broadband services offered by cellular carriers. Vistabeam provides Internet access at up to 8 megabytes of download speed. Residents and businesses that could not take full advantage of the Internet due to the slow speeds of dial-up, cellular data cards or DSL and the latency associated with satellite Internet connections are able to use advanced applications including VPN connections, VoIP telephony, telecommuting programs and games on the Vistabeam network. Please contact Vistabeam at 888-251-0920 or via email to <mailto:[email protected]> [email protected] for more information. Contact: Matt Larsen, Managing Partner Vistabeam 308-635-9434 <mailto:[email protected]> [email protected]
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