Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Craig McCaw's New Toy- NLOS DSL for the home.

From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 04 Aug 2003 13:20:50 -0400

The picture in this article will drive the Tower Guys crazy- Safety, OSHA, Who?
What?
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CHRIS WEATHERLY staff photographer

David Thulin, an employee of PDMNet, sits on top of a roof with a laptop computer
preparing to test the signal strength of a high speed wireless internet connection
sent from a tower about a mile away. After establishing a good signal, Thulin
installs a small antenna on the roof and runs an Ethernet wire through the attic,
down an interior wall to the client's computer.

Vero Beach firm casts high-speed Net South
By Donna Balancia staff writer
August 4, 2003

PDMNet, a wireless high-speed Internet company in Vero Beach, has had so many
requests for its service that it is expanding into St. Lucie and Martin counties.

The expansion comes at a time when investment in wireless broadband is at an
all-time high. Analysts say there is a big need for high-speed, wireless broadband
in rural areas and regions where it is difficult to install traditional land
connections such as cable.

"While studying this industry I've found that there are two primary drivers that
will ensure success or failure," said investment representative Lancent Warren of
Edward Jones in Vero Beach. "Wireless broadband providers must provide adequate
coverage as well as capacity to handle the increasing demands over their system."

In the case of PDMNet, the small company is poised to go up against some of the
industry's heavy-hitters.
"Our competitors are BellSouth and Comcast," said Paul McCall, president of
PDMNet. "These companies do wired services, but they have limited reach. They
offer a different way of getting the same service. We are faster. We are not
weather sensitive. We offer point-to-point microwave links. And we don't care
about the condition of the copper in the ground."
Industry analysts predict that one key to success in wireless broadband will be
the ability to expand the platform as demands for high-speed Internet access
increase with time.

"We offer something to consumers and businesses that the big companies can't,"
said Paul McCall, president of PDMNet. "We offer hands-on customer service, a
reasonable price and we really listen to what the customer wants." In addition,
McCall said his relationships with manufacturers have enabled him to keep pace
with up-to-the-minute changes in technology. "Since this is a hands-on type of
operation, it's very difficult to do nationally," said McCall. "We speak directly
with the customer. We take the time to find out the company or the customer's
needs, then we proceed from there."

No cable or DSL Wireless broadband enables large amounts of data to be transmitted
at speeds that surpass the dial-up connection. Broadband connections to the
Internet are growing in popularity with consumers and are considered a vital part
of doing business.

What makes PDMNet unusual is it is one of the few companies leading the charge in
wireless connectivity on the Treasure Coast, enabling customers to connect to the
Internet without the use of cable or DSL. The Yankee Group, a research firm,
estimates home use of broadband at 16.6 million homes by 2004. In addition,
according to market research firm Allied Business Intelligence, new wireless base
stations worldwide are expected to grow more than three times, from 823,000 to
2,639,000, by the end of this year.

Those types of figures have spurred investment recently in the wireless broadband
sector by a variety of groups.
In April, Goldman Sachs Group invested $15 million in BeamReach Networks of
Sunnyvale, Calif. BeamReach is a wireless broadband provider that serves large
clients and rural areas. Another deal was cut two weeks ago as wireless industry
billionaire Craig McCaw, a majority shareholder in Nextel, invested $15 million in
Minneapolis, Minn.-based NextNet. NextNet delivers its wireless infrastructure to
remote geographic areas where there are no cable or fiber optics available.
Edge over big rivals McCall says his demand in consumer sales is growing in areas
where other high-speed providers are lagging for a variety of reasons.

PDMNet is partnered with Motorola, which manufactures the wireless receiver used
on rooftops. In addition to being small and lightweight, the receiver also
generates low-power microwaves compared with products from larger companies.
"The great thing about what makes our stuff work is it's such a small footprint,"
said McCall. "The unit doesn't look like much. We've never been turned down by a
homeowners association and they don't have an objection because the unit blends
in."
But, McCall said, in the end, it is good old-fashioned communication with the
customer that will keep his business booming.
"Most of our business is generated through need," said McCall. "For instance, our
push into St. Lucie and Martin counties developed through local companies that are
opening offices down there and they need their own virtual private network."
A virtual private network enables a company with several offices to share
information without having to use the Internet and compromise privacy.

McCall said his clients include businesses ranging from the dentist or physician
with two offices, to Vero Beach-based Becker Holdings, with more than 10 sites.
"Where we have an advantage over the large companies is we provide more than just
a wire with a connection," said McCall. "We are able to provide enterprise with a
high-scale business solution."
Much of the growing success of PDMNet lies in the fact that the need for speed
does not distinguish between corporations or consumers. Half of PDMNet's revenue
is generated by consumer sales. "Wireless broadband has its niche, if it's cost
effective to the consumers," said Warren of Edward Jones. "Traditionally, one of
the problems is weather. If it's rainy, there are outages. But if the product is
weatherproof and the equipment is inconspicuous, they can get a foothold."

- [email-masked]

http://www.tcpalm.com/tcp/local_business/article/0,1651,TCP_1012_2151346,00.html