Wisper Internet has announced the launch of two new wireless broadband towers in Butler County that will serve more than 1,800 households in Poplar Bluff and Qulin with Tarana technology.
Wisper is one of the first companies in the United States to use the new Tarana technology, which will offer speeds of up to 400 Mbps and greater line of site wireless penetration.
“At Wisper, we feel internet service is vital to every home just like water, electricity and other utilities,” Wisper founder and CEO Nathan Stooke said in a press release. “Unlike water and power, residents have a choice which company they trust to provide their internet service. This expansion highlights Wisper’s ongoing commitment to improve the lives of residents in rural areas and small towns across the Midwest.”
The new towers are part of Wisper’s plan to provide wireless internet service to rural communities across six states as part of the Connect America Fund, which includes more than $3.6 million focused on broadband in Butler County.
“Wisper has small town roots, and we understand how important taking care of each other can be,” Monte Miller, Wisper’s public relations and advocacy specialist, said. “In today’s world, we feel reliable internet is just as important as water, electricity and other utilities coming into homes in your community. A lack in any of these services makes it harder for residents of any town to perform their daily functions.”
Unlike fiber optics and other ground-based or cable-based forms of internet, Wisper Internet operates on fixed wireless technology. Wisper mounts a transmitter onto an elevated structure, like a water tower or grain elevator. Customers then receive that signal into a small dish located on the outside of their home, which then transmits their signal to their router and on to their devices.
Wisper also has partnered with the Federal Communications Commission for their Lifeline program, as well as the Emergency Broadband Benefits program. The Lifeline program offers discounted service for low-income households. Meanwhile, the EBB Program offers households affected by the pandemic monthly service discounts up to $50, as well as credit for the purchase of eligible devices.
For more information on the service expansion, the new Tarana system, or to determine service eligibility, contact Wisper at 800-765-7772 or sales@wisperisp.com.
To apply for the Lifeline Program, visit www.lifelinesupport.org. To apply for the Emergency Broadband Benefits program, visit getemergencybroadband.org.
Wisper ISP, LLC, is based in Mascoutah, Illinois, which is about 30 miles east of St. Louis, and has more than 200 employees and 20,000 subscribers across Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.