Wireless broadband soon to hit area airwaves

By Cleve Wiese

Published: May 7, 2008

A new nTelos mobile broadband service will soon make access to high-speed wireless Internet a reality for users almost anywhere in the Augusta County region, according to a company media release.
The service, announced Monday, utilizes what is known as “Evolution-Data Optimized” technology to provide high-speed Internet access through radio signals that can be picked up by laptops, handheld devices such as Blackberry’s - even cell phones.
The shift is likely to render dial-up service in the area largely obsolete, said Dan Fajohn, owner of PC Medics in Waynesboro.
“What it’s going to mean is, if you’re in an area where you can get a TV signal, you’ll be able to get a high speed Internet signal.”
Previously, dial-up service - a much slower, increasingly outmoded form of Internet access - was the only option available to 25 to 30 percent of his customers, especially those living in more remote areas, Fajohn said.
Widely accessible high-speed Internet access will also be a boon to the local economy, said Ben Carter, president and CEO of the Greater Augusta Regional Chamber of Commerce.
“It could be one component of bringing business to the area,” Carter said. “But equally important is taking care of businesses that are already here: This will create a positive environment for them and create a situation where they can expand and grow… The days of dial-up, those days are come and gone.”
The company has committed $80 million to expand availability of the service, according to the nTelos release.