Backhaul Services: COHO.NET
COHO.NET is a Wireless Internet Service Provider (WISP) in Hillsboro, Oregon. They have been offering high speed wireless broadband to residential and small business in the rural communities surrounding Portland Oregon since 2001. Because of their rapidly growing customer base, Coho.Net needed to procure additional "backhaul" Internet bandwidth. Any additional T-1 (1.54 Mbps) lines from the local telephone company would cost $500-$700/month, and the quoted installation time was several months. Cost, ability to provision the required bandwidth, and installation times were unacceptable for COHO.NET's requirements.
COHO.NET needed a minimum of 40Mbps as well as the ability to upgrade its backhaul Internet bandwidth incrementally, cost-effectively, and with relatively low hassle as they grew their customer base.
COHO.NET contacted Freewire Broadband in Portland to see if Freewire Broadband could provide them with a more cost-effective, scalable, and low-hassle backhaul Internet bandwidth solution than T-1s from the local telephone company.
Solution
Freewire Broadband installed an FCC Licensed wireless link from its Portland fixed wireless network to COHO.NET. Freewire Broadband is "sourced" from a fiber connection and the current link is capable of providing up to 200 Mbps. As needed, COHO.NET can "order up" increments of bandwidth from Freewire Broadband. If / when COHO.NET requires more than 200 Mbps, Freewire can add up to 8 additional 200 Mbps links. Additionally, the onetime cost for this licensed link was installed at a fraction of the cost to bring in a similar fiber service, with no recurring expense for ownership. Coho.Net pays Freewire Broadband for only the internet circuit and at a fraction of the cost quoted from the wire line providers.
Summary
With the successful completion of the COHO.NET project, Freewire Broadband once again demonstrated its flexibility, cost-effectiveness of its Internet Access services, and its flexibility in providing various telecommunications services beyond "retail" Internet access.