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Wednesday, September 8, 2010 Orono Weekly Times - 3 WISP spreads wireless signal Chris Evelyn believes people, no matter where they live, deserve quality highspeed internet service. He is now on a mission to provide that quality service to as many people as possible. For the past 15 years, Evelyn ran a web design business out of his home south of Kendal. The last four of those years he was using a satellite internet service, at a cost of $200 a month -- a cost he says is too high for the average rural internet user, and was too slow for many of his applications. Evelyn quit the design business, an industry which he says was saturated anyway, and dove head first into researching the internet service provider industry. A year and a half ago, he began his company, WISP Internet Services Inc., and built his first communications tower on the 4th Concession near Newtonville. The company is currently erecting its 11th tower, just south of Richardson's Lookout in Garden Hill, where Evelyn took some time to speak with the Orono Times. "High speed internet is no longer a luxury," Evelyn said, "It is a necessity." While successive government administrations have promised to make the technology available to everyone, it is not happening, according to Evelyn. Through research Evelyn found a U.S. broadband wireless technology called AirMax which uses the latest 5.8 gigahertz (GHz) Wi-Fi technology. "This technology has revolutionized the industry," Evelyn stated. The problem with providing quality internet service in the countryside is the number of obstructions that can interrupt the signal. In an ideal situation there is a perfect line of sight between the receiver on the customer's home and the communiciations tower, according to Evelyn. "In the country, this is a rare occasion," he said. Rural internet users are often hampered by signal interruption caused by obstructions, such as buildings or trees, according to Evelyn. The signal between the tower and the customer's receiver is a continuous feed ocurring at 1,000 times per second. When the signal is interrupted, it becomes split and undeciferable, and internect connection stops, he says. AirMax uses a protocol that can decifer the split signals it receives, no matter how small, put them together like a jigsaw puzzel and continue to send out a strong signal, according to Evelyn. The sattelite internet service Evelyn says he was receiving was too slow, at 2 Chris Evelyn (right) with his crew, on the latest tower. megabytes per second (Mbps). He was experiencing an average latency of 1 to 2 seconds. This created a problem with real time service applications such as video streaming, on-line gaming and voice over internet protocol, which just didn't work, he said. High speed internet in town operates at 8 to 10 Mbps, according to Evelyn. Evelyn says it took a lot of work getting his company off the ground, but with his unique product he feels he has nowhere to go but up. From its beginning in April 2009 servicing clients in the Kendal area, WISP now services an area that ranges from Gores Landing at Rice Lake to Leskard and north to the Mount Pleasant area. "My goal is to provide internet to as many people as possible," Evelyn said. ~ Happenings ~ Thursday, September 9 -12, 2010 - 158th Orono Fair, Orono Fair Grounds. See newspaper or visit www.oronofair.com for more information. Saturday, September 11, 2010 - Durham Central Fair Parade, Begins at 10:30 a.m. Register by Sept. 9 by calling 289-385-8985 or email: parade@oronofair.com. Sunday, September 12, 2010 - Orono's 1st Annual Mini Walk for Ovarian Cancer Registration 8-9am, walk leaves at 9am. Contact: Wendy 905-983-9238 or Lisa 905-983-5336. Tuesday, September 14, 2010 - Kirby Centennial Public School Open House, 5:30-7:30pm, please RSVP at 905-983-5802 or email anne_sheppard@kprdsb.ca.. Saturday, September 18, 2010 - Tyrone United Church Farmers' Market, 9am-1pm, at the church. Home baking, fruit & vegetables, preserves & crafts. BBQ hotdogs, coffee, cold drinks.