This week, Brightspeed launched an offering for its customers currently using aging copper cables for connectivity. The new Brightspeed fixed wireless voice and data service leverages Verizon’s network to connect these customers.
In the announcement, Brightspeed said it has invested billions of dollars deploying fiber broadband to customers in the South, Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S. to replace its copper infrastructure. There are nearly seven million locations within Brightspeed’s 20-state footprint.
However, deployment takes time and precludes homes and businesses that the planned network may not reach. The new fixed wireless voice and data solution is viewed as an immediate and reliable option for customers to connect to high-speed internet.
The company said that some of its DSL customers in underserved or unserved areas are currently using speeds well below what they need to be productive online at work and school, and they endure recurring service outages. The new Brightspeed/Verizon partnership will upgrade the services for some of these DSL customers.
“Ultimately, our goal is to give every home and business within our 20-state service area a more reliable, resilient option over copper voice and data services,” Brightspeed CEO Tom Maguire said in the announcement.
“Everyone deserves the latest and best communications technology available. Archaic copper networks are costly to maintain, susceptible to weather-related issues and can neither support modern technology nor telecommunications innovation and the needs of the future. This fixed wireless solution will help those who have struggled with unreliable copper service living in areas where our fiber network isn’t available.”
Brightspeed provided Telecompetitor with a statement saying that the new solution is being piloted now. Once the pilot is complete, pricing will be available. The company emphasized its “easy-to-understand, transparent billing and simple plans,” such as no annual contracts, equipment costs, bundle requirements or surprise fees.
“Our pricing varies by market, and we encourage customers to go to our website and enter their address to learn more about the services available to them. We expect our new solution to offer an improved experience and faster speeds than what DSL customers receive today,” the statement about the Brightspeed/Verizon offering read.
Another provider introduced a similar service this week. C Spire, a service provider in Mississippi, announced its partnership with Inseego to offer a fixed wireless access 5G service to provide broadband to underserved homes in the state. The C Spire 5G Home Internet service will provide download speeds of 100 Mbps and includes a router from Inseego.
