Rural Areas Enjoy Speedy Internet

For some local country folks, the days of slow Internet are over, with wireless broadband Internet becoming available to more than 90 percent of the state. Jami Berg, who lives eight miles north of Howard Lake, first tried wireless broadband March 2008, with a 20-day trial thru Verizon Wireless. “The first night, I loved it so much I knew I was never going back,” he said. Before signing up for wireless, Berg’s family had used dial-up Internet service. An average broadband line is about nine times faster than the best dial-up connection, according to an article from www.explainthatstuff.com, while a quick broadband line can be more than 100 times faster. Wireless broadband Internet first gained popularity about 10 years ago, but many people are still unaware of its existence, said Anthony Will of Hutchinson, who has been in the industry since 1999. “We give people Internet where they’ve been told ‘no’ over and over again by the telephone companies,” said Will, who is vice president of a Victoria-based company called Broadband. Ben and Roxanne Raymond, who live six miles north of Howard Lake, said wireless Internet has been very cost-effective for them. The family recently discontinued their satellite TV service, and instead, watch movies online. Roxanne, who works in Eden Prairie, said she also uses the Internet to work from home when road conditions are bad. Within a city, Internet service is usually provided through cable and DSL companies, but in the country, the service is often not available. As ...