Company now offers high-speed wireless to residential customers

Ever since Hunter Communications struck a deal with the Ashland Fiber Network back in 2001, the Central Point telecommunications company has been dragging fiber cable throughout the Rogue Valley and more recently in the Klamath Basin.

Hunter Communications has provided business and institutional customers with high-speed network connection speeds up to 100,000k, compared to a maximum "dial-up" Internet connection of 56k or cable Internet speed of 3,000k.

But it’s not financially feasible to string fiber down every city street and country road. So Hunter Communications President Richard Ryan extended his 13-year-old company’s reach in a different mode — wireless.

"We recognized we couldn’t wire everybody to our fiber network," Ryan says.

As with Hunter Communication’s fiber product, Hunter Wireless’ primary target will be business customers. But it can also serve residential users in a footprint presently stretching from Phoenix to the southern edge of Eagle Point.

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Hunter Communications has 200 clients on its fiber network and is adding two to three per week, Ryan says.

Wireless broadband was a natural extension in areas beyond the reach of DSL or cable modems.

"We went through several suppliers and manufacturers to find ones where their experience, technology and support services would complement our standards so we could guarantee the same quality we offer with our fiber network."

Hunter Wireless quietly tested its broadband capabilities for the past 18 months, working with a group of doctors in the Hillcrest Road area.

"We provided a high-speed wireless connection that has been working very well," Ryan says.

In February, the Medford airport became a Wi-Fi network center, meaning properly equipped computers can log onto the Internet from anywhere in the airport. Hunter Wireless delivers the broadband Web connection to the airport via microwave.

"We used two different technologies for that," Ryan says. "One to get it there and one at the airport."

Ryan says other companies have offered wireless products with older technology and limited success.

While newcomer Clearwire advertises a 1.5 megabits per second business service Ryan says Hunter Wireless can reach 10 Mbps. Hunter’s broadband delivered via microwave is. The biggest challenge in testing, Ryan says, was proving the technology was reliable and sustainable.

Hunter Wireless prices range from $99 to $150 per month, depending on length and level of service.

"People living in outlying areas that need high-speed connections will look at it," he says. "It’s in the same price range as satellite service and is still a residential solution."

Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 776-4463 or e-mail business@mailtribune.com