Fort Worth, Texas – July 26, 2023 – Element8, a leading next-generation internet service provider (ISP), backed by a $200 million strategic investment from Digital Alpha, has announced its strategic investment into Wisper ISP, led by industry visionary Nathan Stooke. This transformative partnership marks a significant milestone for the telecommunications industry and strengthens Element8’s commitment to expanding high-speed broadband access across the United States. The partnership with Wisper ISP represents a leap forward in Element8’s national expansion strategy. By joining forces with Wisper ISP, Element8 will leverage its expertise, infrastructure, and operational excellence to deliver unparalleled connectivity solutions to the heartland. This strategic move enables Element8’s mission of bridging the digital divide and empowering regions with next-generation broadband technology. “We are extremely excited about the future of Wisper and the opportunities it presents for both companies,” said Kevin Grace, CEO and President of Element8. “Nathan Stooke and his team at Wisper ISP have established an impressive reputation for providing reliable internet services to rural communities along with thought leadership and service, industry-wide. Together, we will amplify our impact, bringing fast and reliable broadband to even more households, businesses, and educational institutions.” Wisper ISP has been an effective steward of the $220 million Connect America Funds II (CAF) award by continuing to build on its network of more than 500 towers and providing next-generation connectivity to rural communities. This investment and the future work together represents an ideal way for private investment to complement public funding to reach as many unserved and underserved customers as possible. Nathan Stooke, Founder and CEO of Wisper ISP, expressed his enthusiasm for the investment, stating, “Over the last 20 years, the Wisper team and I have worked to build Wisper into the company that it is today, and this new partnership is an exciting next chapter that will be positive for customers, employees, and the wireless industry as a whole.” “Partnering with a company that has a shared vision and aligned values on how to treat our employees and customers, while we solve the digital divide will be an energizing opportunity. We are combining both our federal and state funds with private investment to maximize both in pursuit of connecting the communities that so badly need it,” he continued. While technology agnostic, with this strategic partnership and investment, Element8 is poised to scale within the broadband industry with Tarana’s ngFWA platform. The company’s advanced next-generation fixed wireless access network, powered by a Cisco core and access network, will help residents and businesses to thrive in the digital age, fostering economic growth, enabling remote work and education, and enhancing the overall quality of life. “This investment demonstrates Element8 and Digital Alpha’s partnership approach in the industry as we focus on funding digital infrastructure deployments that are enabling digital transformation across local communities,” said Rick Shrotri, Founder and Managing Partner at Digital Alpha Advisors. “We are excited to bring together a tested technology solution to build a national, next generation network,” he continued. In addition to the $1.5 billion assets under management, Digital Alpha brings strategic partnerships with Silicon Valley industry leaders focused on next-generation networks, cloud, IoT, and smart city platforms to bring complete solutions to meet every stakeholder’s needs in this new era of connectivity. “Cisco recognizes the transformative power of high-speed broadband connectivity for rural communities. We are thrilled to see private investors complement public funding, making for more efficient and impactful investment to help bridge the digital divide in the United States,” said Brian Rueger, Senior Director, Service Provider Sales at Cisco. “We look forward to continuing our work with Element8 to change the economics of the internet with a converged network architecture approach to help meet our shared goals for a more inclusive future for all.” Wisper was represented by Jeff Santoro and Chris Mullaly, investment bankers at Four Points Capital Partners, a FINRA member broker-dealer. For more information about Element8 and its mission to revolutionize broadband connectivity, please visit www.e8internet.com. About Element8 Element8 (E8) is a telecommunications company founded on a promise: to be a team that offers high-quality telecom services and makes a major difference in our communities. The company specializes in providing high-speed broadband network connections to tertiary and rural markets through a variety of cutting-edge technologies. The company is based in Fort Worth, Texas, and serves clients globally. Element8 is known as Oxygen (Atomic Element 8) on the periodic table. For more information, please visit www.e8internet.com. About Wisper ISP Wisper ISP is a rural internet service provider headquartered in Mascoutah, Illinois. The company provides services across underserved communities in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. www.wisperisp.com/about/. About Digital Alpha Advisors Digital Alpha Advisors, LLC is an investment firm focused on digital infrastructure required by the rapidly expanding digital economy, with total assets under management of over $1.5 billion. The firm has a strategic collaboration agreement with Cisco Systems, Inc. and has partnered with other leading Silicon Valley firms. Digital Alpha believes it is the first firm focused on making private equity investments in the significant growth opportunities required to underpin the Digital Economy, including next generation communications networks, IoT platforms for urban infrastructure, and cloud-based data management platforms. Digital Alpha was founded in 2017 by Rick Shrotri, former Head of the Global Infrastructure Funds (GIF) team at Cisco, and closed its latest Fund – Digital Alpha Fund II, LP – in early 2021. For more information, please visit www.digitalalpha.net. Contact: For Element8 E8 Media Relations media@e8internet.com… Read More
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Wisper Internet Gives Back with Partners for Pets
Wisper Internet recently donated the proceeds from an employee trivia night to Partners for Pets, a no-kill animal shelter based in St. Jacob, Ill. Last year, the facility rescued 1,675 dogs and cats locally and from neighboring states. The animals are assisted by 250 volunteers who are currently caring for 250 animals both in foster care and more than 100 at the shelter itself. In addition to rescuing animals, Partners for Pets also hosts weekly spay, neutering, and vaccination clinics. Since its inception in 2003, Partners for Pets has rescued roughly 23,000 animals. Both Wisper and Partners for Pets are celebrating their 20th anniversary in 2023! Wisper Internet, based in Mascoutah, Ill, provides reliable internet to more than 19,000 customers in communities across six states. Wisper is a proud supporter of several charities and organizations throughout its coverage areas. Pictured from left to right: Veterinary technicians Lori Miller, Kate Germany; Partners for Pets Executive Director Erika Pratt; Wisper PR and Advocacy Specialist Monte Miller; Shelter tech Renee Bradshaw; and Kennel tech Sharon Autenrieth. (Photo courtesy Wisper Internet)… Read More
ACP: ‘Wispering’ 350 Connections
There is a lot of “alphabet soup” associated with the internet business. Bits, bytes, gigs, and megs. ISPs, Wi-Fi, and MDUs, just to scratch the surface. Another acronym that many in our industry may not be as familiar with is the ACP: Affordable Connectivity Program. In its first form, the ACP was known as another acronym, the EBB, or Emergency Broadband Benefit program, created during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic to bring not only economic relief to families but also to help those displaced to their homes for work, education, and entertainment, stay connected. A wise man once said the pandemic brought 2030 internet usage to 2020, and our industry, the government, businesses, churches, and schools were caught off guard at first. Today, the new normal seems like all we have ever known. We may never have the true return to “normalcy,” but we are instead realizing the shortfalls and adapting quite nicely… Score one for the American spirit. So, what is the ACP? The Affordable Connectivity Program is an FCC program to help families and households struggling to afford internet service. This benefit helps to connect eligible households with a discount of up to $30 per month towards broadband service and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. Folks can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 towards the purchase of a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers. As you may have guessed by now, Wisper is a “participating provider” and through the arduous work of Acquisition and Compliance Coordinator John S., Wisper has helped connect more than 350 households through the ACP program. But our work isn’t done yet…Sorry, John! Who Is Eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Program? A household is eligible if a member of the household meets one of the criteria below: Has an income that is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines or participates in certain assistance programs, such as WIC, SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, Federal Public Housing Assistance, or Lifeline; Is approved to receive benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision. Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year, or Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating provider’s existing low-income program, subject to FCC approval. Simply put, if a household has children who are eligible for the free and reduced school lunch program or Medicaid, regardless of state, they qualify for the ACP program. According to the School Nutrition Association, pre-pandemic, nearly 100,000 schools/institutions serve school lunches to 29.6 million students daily, including 20.1 million free lunches and 1.7 million at a reduced price (student pays $0.40). Our research shows that Wisper covers areas where the free lunch program for elementary students is high as 72 percent. At Wisper, we believe that in today’s world reliable internet is just as important as a utility like water or electricity. With increased emphasis placed on the absolute necessity for the internet, families should not have to choose between paying for connectivity or other household bills. The ACP is not a handout. It is instead a helping hand for families or households to stay connected. There should be no shame or embarrassment in taking advantage of a government program designed to help us in our everyday lives. Wisper does not administer the program directly. Instead, households or individuals can be linked to the FCC website through wisperisp.com. After the application is complete and they receive an approval letter, they can contact Wisper to get connected to our services. According to statistics supplied to the Biden administration (whitehouse.gov) by the Universal Service Administrative Company, more than 15,065,044 households have connected through the ACP/EBB since its inception. Of those, only 217,693 are on tribal lands. In Wisper coverage states, Illinois is highest with 449,940 enrollees; Missouri has 247,650; Indiana, 283,957; Oklahoma, 227,163, Arkansas, 140,332; and Kansas has had 80,895 households enrolled. California, New York, Texas, and Florida lead the nation with more than 1 million program enrollees and North Dakota is at the bottom of the list with just over 9,500. Many U.S. territories are well below 2,000 participants in the ACP…. Read More
Wisper Supports Honor Flight
Thank You. Two insignificant words can be the most powerful anyone can hear. This summer, Wisper Internet has sponsored two Honor Flights of military veterans to Washington D.C. to tour memorials to American conflicts, different branches of the armed forces, and other monuments to the founders and defenders of our nation. Last weekend a group of 24 Vietnam veterans and one 91-year-old Korean War veteran from Franklin and surrounding Missouri counties took their Honor Flight to the nation’s capital. Fifty years after their discharges from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, these vets finally received the thank you many of them said they never received when they came home after their tours overseas. As Wisper’s Public Relations and Advocacy Specialist, I was unbelievably lucky to accompany a veteran on this flight and serve as his “guardian” for the whirlwind 36 hours in Washington D.C. We arrived at Lambert Airport at 5:30 a.m. Saturday morning and after a greeting from USO volunteers we made our way through security to our terminal for breakfast. We were on the plane and in the air around 8:30. We exited our plane at Reagan National Airport to cheering travelers in the terminal and a high school band, football team, and cheerleaders lining the hallway from the terminal to the front doors before boarding our charter bus to lunch. At this early point in the trip, the vets and guardians were already forming friendships and the vets were exchanging stories from their experiences in Vietnam, which ranged from being a payroll clerk to flying nukes in a B-52 bomber. While at lunch, I got the first indication that this trip was going to be incredibly special for the vets and the guardians as well. I quickly discovered the vets were eager to share their stories, which in many cases had never had anyone ask to hear them. Even more powerful was hearing the vets talk to each other and connect on their shared experiences both good and bad. After lunch, our group of about 55 people headed to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia. A couple of hours were spent here giving the vets a chance to see aircraft they had flown in while in the service. This was also a fantastic opportunity for guardians to have a chance to get to know our new friends as well. My vet was Rodney Norman, who served in Vietnam as a payroll clerk on a forward base. He lives in South St. Louis County and is retired after operating a residential garage door business for many years. We departed the museum and headed to the Air Force Memorial for dinner and a wonderful view of the Pentagon. After some time at the memorial, our next destination was the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and a quick view of the Dr. Martin Luther King Memorial. The highlight of the evening was our visit to the National Mall to view the nightly illuminations of the World War 2, Vietnam and Korean War, and Lincoln memorials. Finally, the hotel and bed at 10 p.m. for a few hours of rest before a packed Sunday, starting with breakfast at 6:30 a.m. Day two began with a visit to and up into the Washington Monument. At this point in the trip the vets and the guardians were forming friendships and a comfort level with each other, and the times spent in lines and on the bus became filled with laughter, jokes, and some ribbing of the Marine vets by the other branches. Having focused on the Korean War Memorial the previous night, Rodney and I took this opportunity to visit the very somber Vietnam Memorial Wall. While there we located the name of a childhood friend of his who was killed in action which was engraved in its enduring place of honor. We then made out way over to the Lincoln Memorial and found several of the others from our group taking pictures and referencing historic events that had occurred on the steps where we were standing and a few famous movie scenes as well. Although Rodney had visited the sites before, he commented that when you are there it is hard to take it all in, because it seems like you are in a movie or a textbook. We boarded the bus from the Lincon Memorial and made a quick drive past the Capital building to the National Navy Memorial and museum on Pennsylvania Avenue, just a few blocks from the White House. After a private lunch and tour of the Navy Museum, we headed to the Pentagon to view the 9/11 Memorial to the 184 souls who lost their lives at that location during the terrorist attack on our nation 21 years ago. The simple memorial features winged-shaped benches and flowing water beneath each. Fifty-nine benches are situated facing the Pentagon to represent the victims of Flight 77. An additional 125 benches are facing outward from the impact point to honor those who were killed in the Pentagon. In keeping with somber remembrances, our next and probably most poignant stop on the trip for the veterans was a visit to Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. While here, the vets witnessed a changing of the guard ceremony at the tomb and they received a fitting, secret nod from the soldiers of the Old Guard while performing their duties. As the sergeant at arms is entering the tomb area, he drags the toe of his boots (equipped with metal taps) on the ground while walking past the vets as a tribute to their service, an extremely high honor. Despite the gravitas of the ceremony and location, the vets’ spirits were high after being surrounded by their honored servicemembers in a very sacred place to our military and the country. We boarded the bus one last time and after circling the Iwo Jima Memorial honoring the Marine Corps and the raising of the American… Read More
19 Years of Wisper
Happy Birthday Wisper: Moving Forward, Looking Back, Keeping Promises In 1905, author George Santayana coined the phrase “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” The same phrase or variation of it was made famous by former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill decades later as he guided Great Britain through World War II. The past can be both helpful and hurtful to everyone. It can evoke great memories, triumphs, regrets, or traumas from which we can learn. Good or bad, we can never forget the past and in a world of forward motion and progress, we must remember our roots and foundations. Businesses must be incredibly careful to remember their past and not be blinded by future expansions and progress and let themselves forget the customers who have helped them build their business into what it is today. Without the past, there is no future. Moving Forward On September 18, Wisper Internet will celebrate its 19th birthday. Since 2003, Wisper has looked forward while never losing sight of the past. As you may guess, the wireless internet industry is changing and growing daily. Wisper has and will continue to be at the forefront of the technology wave with two decades of experience to navigate the internet ocean. The $220 million Connect America Fund II (CAF) award has propelled Wisper to the forefront of the WISP industry across six states and Wisper is known nationwide for its groundbreaking work. Since the beginning of this year (2022) Wisper has launched 108 new wireless broadband towers across three states. In Missouri, 74 new towers are serving households in 36 individual counties with some of those counties now hosting as many as seven Wisper towers. In Illinois, 32 new towers have been launched this year in 12 counties with most hosting 2, 3, and 4 new towers each. Wisper also launched two new towers in Craig and Ottowa counties in Oklahoma this year as well. In the last four months of 2021, Wisper launched 68 new CAF towers in 40 counties spanning four states. Those towers served more than 204,000 households. As reported at the most recent companywide All Hands meeting, Wisper has 80,149 CAF obligations spanning six states including Missouri (68,269), Illinois (8,907), Oklahoma (2,443), Kansas (414), Arkansas (102), and Indiana (14). As of August, Wisper has completed 176 total towers serving 33,292 of the CAF obligations. The completion rate in Arkansas is at 68 percent; 57 percent in Indiana; 48 percent in Oklahoma, 43 percent in Missouri; 42 percent in Kansas; and 29 percent in Illinois. Looking Back When a foundation of any kind is built, it cannot be forgotten in the fog of progress and the same must be true in any business, especially one as dynamic as the internet. Just think, 20 years ago we still had to dial a phone number to a modem or system somewhere and then listen to the screeching phone lines just to get “online”. Now, with Wi-Fi and wireless networks we can connect effortlessly in our homes, yards, cars, or anywhere. Wisper Internet cherishes its roots and in addition to focusing on the CAF and forward-moving projects, they are laser-focused on strengthening the foundations and core values on which the company was built and follows. In just the past six months, Wisper crews have completed 83 system upgrades and retrofits across its networks in Missouri and Illinois. These upgrades span locations served by Wisper’s headquarters in Mascoutah, Ill., and the spokes in Smith, Joplin, Osage, Smithton, Forsyth, Washington, and Kansas City, Mo. These upgrades and retrofits are proof positive that Wisper and its employees are committed to our existing customers who had faith in the company and have helped it reach its current success. Everything Wisper does is for our customers both new and old. The CAF builds are driven to connect the unserved and underserved in our coverage areas. Wisper is meeting those mandates and is committed to having the best network for our current and future customers. In furtherance of those goals, Wisper has joined with the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) to assist households with the Lifeline and Affordable Connectivity Programs to get people connected and stay connected to the world…. Read More
Ask for Help: Break the Stigma with the ACP
Do you ask for assistance when you need it most? Some don’t for a myriad of reasons. Too proud, embarrassed, don’t know how or who to reach out to, or they don’t know what resources are available. Resources can be physical, mental, or in most cases, financial. Money can be a struggle for many families in some form. Even the most financially stable household can run into unexpected expenses like needing a new appliance, air conditioner, medical expenses, etc. Let’s not forget the global pandemic that put thousands of people into dire financial situations they never thought possible from no fault of their own. Many adults and kids found their work and school lives turned upside down. In the worst-case scenarios, many lost their incomes completely. It has been said that the pandemic brought 2030 to 2020, highlighting the need for households to connect for work, school, and entertainment. It also highlighted the digital divide in our country on two fronts. Those who are unserved and underserved. When you think of these two categories, the first doesn’t have access to reliable internet because of their geographic locations and lack of services in their areas. Wisper is working on this connectivity issue through our ongoing Connect America Fund (CAF) commitments, which include as many as 20 new wireless towers being launched each month. The other issue that causes households to be unserved and underserved can affect families anywhere. They simply cannot afford it. Our research shows that Wisper covers areas where the free lunch program for elementary students are high as 72 percent. This program indicates households that are at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. At Wisper, we believe that in today’s world reliable internet is just as important as a utility like water or electricity. With increased emphasis placed on the absolute necessity of the internet, families should not have to choose between paying for much-needed connectivity, or other household bills. Wisper has already helped more than 300 underserved families by partnering with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the Affordable Connectivity Program (formerly the Emergency Broadband Benefit EBB). This benefit helps to connect eligible households to jobs, critical healthcare services, virtual classrooms, and so much more. About the Affordable Connectivity Program The Affordable Connectivity Program will provide a discount of up to $30 per month towards broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price. Many of these households have children eligible for the free and reduced lunched programs offered in school districts around the country. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), before the pandemic, nearly 100,000 schools/institutions serve school lunches to 29.6 million students each day, including 20.1 million free lunches, and 1.7 million reduced-price meals (student pays $0.40). In many of the communities and school districts Wisper serves, an average of 40 percent of the students qualify for free and reduced lunches and the family would in turn qualify for the ACP. The ACP is not a handout, it is instead a helping hand for families or households to stay connected. There should be no shame or embarrassment in taking advantage of a government program designed to help us in our everyday lives. How to Apply Eligible households must both apply for the program and contact a participating provider to select a service plan. Go to FCC.gov/ACP to apply online and to find participating providers near you. After you apply, you will need to contact a participating provider to select an eligible plan. Libraries are free and supported by tax dollars. We don’t blink an eye about using them. Look at all the other government programs that help us every day that no one thought would catch on or were a waste of money. Unemployment, WIC, Social Security, Worker’s Compensation, the FDA, and the list goes on and on. Never be ashamed to ask for help and never judge those who may need a little extra…. Read More
What About the 14%?
I was born in a small town, and I live in a small town. If you have read any of my previous blogs, you can guess Wisper Internet and our employees are proud of the small towns we live in and humbly confident in the fact we are connecting small communities to great broadband service every day. According to the 2020 United States Census, 46 million Americans are rural residents. That is 14 percent of the overall population of the country who live in small towns, or outside the city limits. Being one of those in the 14 percent, I know I may be further away from services, and I might have to drive to the next town over for fast food, groceries, or other conveniences. I am fine with that and many like me are as well. What I am not fine with is being overlooked or skipped because of my desire to live in the small community my family has called home for 80 years. My grandparents moved here in 1942 and my kids are now the fourth generation to call this special place home. There are some major industries here in the town, which was founded to support a major national railroad. We are also exactly nine miles from downtown St. Louis and minutes from the sprawling counties to the east and west, so there are many opportunities for careers. We understand our bedroom community does not have the rooftop population to draw a big box store, supermarket, or chain restaurants. Just like other towns just like mine, we still need and deserve basic services. We can’t drive to the neighboring town to pick up a bucket of internet. Wisper founder and CEO, Nathan Stooke, refers to the internet as more essential than water because you cannot create it yourself or store it in your garage. You must get it from somewhere. Where is that source in a small community or rural town? Wisper Internet has been that broadband source for tens of thousands of households in unserved and underserved areas for 20 years. The fixed wireless network Wisper deploys across the urban and rural landscape can reach places others cannot. On May 13, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA announced over $40 billion in funding for nationwide broadband internet deployment under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program (BEAD). This and other programs like the Connect America Fund are great opportunities for companies like Wisper to better serve Americans in the areas we have been focused on for two decades. In 2019, Wisper was the winner of $220 million from the Federal Communications Commission as part of the Connect America Fund II program. Since that time, Wisper has deployed nearly one hundred new fixed wireless broadband towers in dozens of communities across six states serving 20,000 customers. Yes, in some areas there is competition and that is the beauty of a free market. Offer an excellent product and customer service and let the purchasing public decide what is best for them. Unfortunately, in some of these areas, Wisper may be the only company that has made the effort to provide households with much-needed services. Although the spirit of the NTIA and the BEAD effort is to provide reliable broadband internet to residents of rural America, they are not deeming traditional fixed wireless as a reliable offering despite the record of Wisper and other progressive wireless internet service providers (WISPs) who have been filling the digital divide across the nation. So, what does all this mean to John and Jane residents of a small-town USA? It means the $40 billion in funding will be allocated to fiber-focused companies and projects, which, Wisper does as well. Like Nathan always says, “Right tool for the right job.” Again, competition is great, but for the NTIA to minimize the efficiency and reach of the entire WISP industry with proven results of getting service to places others can’t reach, is a bit of a disservice to the American people. This decision is especially detrimental to the 14 percent living in the rural areas where it would take miles of digging to get to just one home and miles more to serve a whole rural community. Wisper has partnered with Tarana Wireless and can cover an area of eight square miles from one of our towers serving an entire town from one location. Wisper has been deploying between 10 and 30 of these towers each month in 2022 and has an aggressive construction plan for the rest of the year. The importance of WISPs should not be overlooked, downplayed, or excluded in any broadband discussions. Fixed wireless is a great tool to reach the unserved and underserved and Wisper has been leading the industry in connecting the 14 percent…. Read More
Wisper Internet Launching Three Towers in Cass County
April 29, 2022 – As part of the ongoing crusade to provide high-speed internet to rural communities, Wisper Internet is pleased to announce the launch of three new wireless broadband towers in Cass County, Mo., serving more than 22,000 households in Garden City, Pleasant Hill, and Belton communities with Tarana technology. Wisper is one of the first companies nationwide to use the new cutting-edge Tarana technology, offering up to 400 Mbps packages with a greater line of site wireless penetration. The expansion of these towers is part of Wisper’s pledge to provide wireless internet service to rural communities across six states as part of the Connect America Fund (CAF) which includes more than $1.8 million focused on broadband in Cass County. “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. “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 improving the lives of residents in rural areas and small towns across the Midwest.” Wisper has partnered with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for their Lifeline Program, as well as the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The Lifeline program offers discounted services for low-income households. If you believe you are eligible for the Lifeline Program and would like to apply, please visit: www.lifelinesupport.org. The ACP offers households monthly service discounts up to $30, as well as credit for the purchase of eligible devices. To apply for the benefit, visit ACPBenefit.org. If you are approved, please contact Wisper and provide your ACP approval letter. Wisper Internet operates on fixed wireless technology. To connect people via fixed wireless, Wisper mounts a transmitter onto an elevated structure, like a communications/water tower or grain elevator. Customers receive that signal into a small dish located on the outside of their home, which then transmits their signal to their router, where they can connect to all their favorite devices! Tarana was created while trying to solve the issues associated with America’s fixed wireless system. While searching for a way to bring modern speed requirements to remote areas without going over budgets, the team at Tarana developed the Gigabit 1 system. For more information on this exciting service expansion, the new Tarana system, or to determine service eligibility, contact the Wisper Sales Team at (800) 765-7772 or sales@wisperisp.com. Wisper ISP, LLC, based in Mascoutah, Ill., is a wireless internet service provider with more than 200 employees and 20,000 subscribers across Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma…. Read More
Wisper Internet Launching New Tower in Jackson County
April 29, 2022 – As part of the ongoing crusade to provide high-speed internet to rural communities, Wisper Internet is pleased to announce the launch of a new wireless broadband tower in Jackson County, Mo., serving hundreds of households in Kansas City with Tarana technology. Wisper is one of the first companies nationwide to use the new cutting-edge Tarana technology, offering up to 400 Mbps packages with a greater line of site wireless penetration. The expansion of these towers is part of Wisper’s pledge to provide wireless internet service to rural communities across six states as part of the Connect America Fund (CAF which includes more than $1.3 million focused on broadband in Jackson County. “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. “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 improving the lives of residents in rural areas and small towns across the Midwest.” Wisper has partnered with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for their Lifeline Program, as well as the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The Lifeline program offers discounted services for low-income households. If you believe you are eligible for the Lifeline Program and would like to apply, please visit: www.lifelinesupport.org. The ACP offers households monthly service discounts up to $30, as well as credit for the purchase of eligible devices. To apply for the benefit, visit ACPBenefit.org. If you are approved, please contact Wisper and provide your ACP approval letter. Wisper Internet operates on fixed wireless technology. To connect people via fixed wireless, Wisper mounts a transmitter onto an elevated structure, like a communications/water tower or grain elevator. Customers receive that signal into a small dish located on the outside of their home, which then transmits their signal to their router, where they can connect to all their favorite devices! Tarana was created while trying to solve the issues associated with America’s fixed wireless system. While searching for a way to bring modern speed requirements to remote areas without going over budgets, the team at Tarana developed the Gigabit 1 system. For more information on this exciting service expansion, the new Tarana system, or to determine service eligibility, contact the Wisper Sales Team at (800) 765-7772 or sales@wisperisp.com. Wisper ISP, LLC, based in Mascoutah, Ill., is a wireless internet service provider with more than 200 employees and 20,000 subscribers across Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma…. Read More
Wisper Internet Launching New Tower in Jefferson County
April 29, 2022 – As part of the ongoing crusade to provide high-speed internet to rural communities, Wisper Internet is pleased to announce the launch of a new wireless broadband tower in Jefferson County, Mo., serving households in De Soto with Tarana technology. Wisper is one of the first companies nationwide to use the new cutting-edge Tarana technology, offering up to 400 Mbps packages with a greater line of site wireless penetration. The expansion of these towers is part of Wisper’s pledge to provide wireless internet service to rural communities across six states as part of the Connect America Fund (CAF which includes more than $8.3 million focused on broadband in Jefferson County. In March, Wisper launched towers in Jefferson County serving Catawissa, Dittmer, and Bismark. “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. “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 improving the lives of residents in rural areas and small towns across the Midwest.” Wisper has partnered with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for their Lifeline Program, as well as the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The Lifeline program offers discounted services for low-income households. If you believe you are eligible for the Lifeline Program and would like to apply, please visit www.lifelinesupport.org. The ACP offers households monthly service discounts up to $30, as well as credit for the purchase of eligible devices. To apply for the benefit, visit ACPBenefit.org. If you are approved, please contact Wisper and provide your ACP approval letter. Wisper Internet operates on fixed wireless technology. To connect people via fixed wireless, Wisper mounts a transmitter onto an elevated structure, like a communications/water tower or grain elevator. Customers receive that signal into a small dish located on the outside of their home, which then transmits their signal to their router, where they can connect to all their favorite devices! Tarana was created while trying to solve the issues associated with America’s fixed wireless system. While searching for a way to bring modern speed requirements to remote areas without going over budgets, the team at Tarana developed the Gigabit 1 system. For more information on this exciting service expansion, the new Tarana system, or to determine service eligibility, contact the Wisper Sales Team at (800) 765-7772 or sales@wisperisp.com. Wisper ISP, LLC, based in Mascoutah, Ill., is a wireless internet service provider with more than 200 employees and 20,000 subscribers across Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma…. Read More
Wisper Internet Launching New Tower in Johnson County
April 29, 2022 – As part of the ongoing crusade to provide high-speed internet to rural communities, Wisper Internet is pleased to announce the launch of a new wireless broadband tower in Johnson County, Mo., serving households in Knob Noster with Tarana technology. Wisper is one of the first companies nationwide to use the new cutting-edge Tarana technology, offering up to 400 Mbps packages with a greater line of site wireless penetration. The expansion of these towers is part of Wisper’s pledge to provide wireless internet service to rural communities across six states as part of the Connect America Fund (CAF which includes more than $2.5 million focused on broadband in Johnson County. “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. “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 improving the lives of residents in rural areas and small towns across the Midwest.” Wisper has partnered with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for their Lifeline Program, as well as the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The Lifeline program offers discounted services for low-income households. If you believe you are eligible for the Lifeline Program and would like to apply, please visit: www.lifelinesupport.org. The ACP offers households monthly service discounts up to $30, as well as credit for the purchase of eligible devices. To apply for the benefit, visit ACPBenefit.org. If you are approved, please contact Wisper and provide your ACP approval letter. Wisper Internet operates on fixed wireless technology. To connect people via fixed wireless, Wisper mounts a transmitter onto an elevated structure, like a communications/water tower or grain elevator. Customers receive that signal into a small dish located on the outside of their home, which then transmits their signal to their router, where they can connect to all their favorite devices! Tarana was created while trying to solve the issues associated with America’s fixed wireless system. While searching for a way to bring modern speed requirements to remote areas without going over budgets, the team at Tarana developed the Gigabit 1 system. For more information on this exciting service expansion, the new Tarana system, or to determine service eligibility, contact the Wisper Sales Team at (800) 765-7772 or sales@wisperisp.com. Wisper ISP, LLC, based in Mascoutah, Ill., is a wireless internet service provider with more than 200 employees and 20,000 subscribers across Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma…. Read More
Wisper Internet Launching New Tower in Ottawa County
April 29, 2022- As part of the ongoing crusade to provide high-speed internet to rural communities, Wisper Internet is pleased to announce the launch of a new wireless broadband tower in Ottawa County, OK., serving households in Fairland community with Tarana technology. Wisper is one of the first companies nationwide to use the new cutting-edge Tarana technology, offering up to 400 Mbps packages with a greater line of site wireless penetration. The expansion of these towers is part of Wisper’s pledge to provide wireless internet service to rural communities across six states as part of the Connect America Fund (CAF) which includes more than $770,000 focused on broadband in Ottawa County. “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. “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 improving the lives of residents in rural areas and small towns across the Midwest.” Wisper has partnered with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for their Lifeline Program, as well as the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The Lifeline program offers discounted services for low-income households. If you believe you are eligible for the Lifeline Program and would like to apply, please visit: www.lifelinesupport.org. The ACP offers households monthly service discounts up to $30, as well as credit for the purchase of eligible devices. To apply for the benefit, visit ACPBenefit.org. If you are approved, please contact Wisper and provide your ACP approval letter. There are also discounts for households participating in specific tribal programs. Wisper Internet operates on fixed wireless technology. To connect people via fixed wireless, Wisper mounts a transmitter onto an elevated structure, like a communications/water tower or grain elevator. Customers receive that signal into a small dish located on the outside of their home, which then transmits their signal to their router, where users can connect to all their favorite devices! Tarana was created while trying to solve the issues associated with America’s fixed wireless system. While searching for a way to bring modern speed requirements to remote areas without going over budgets, the team at Tarana developed the Gigabit 1 system. For more information on this exciting service expansion, the new Tarana system, or to determine service eligibility, contact the Wisper Sales Team at (800) 765-7772 or sales@wisperisp.com. Wisper ISP, LLC, based in Mascoutah, Ill., is a wireless internet service provider with more than 200 employees and 20,000 subscribers across Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma…. Read More
Wisper Internet Salutes Teachers Past and Present
Do you have a favorite teacher? Not just the cool teacher everyone liked, but a teacher who played a key role in your life. This could be a teacher from grade school, junior high, high school, or even college. Now the real question…Have you ever thanked them? I’m lucky enough to have two teachers like this in my life. They both took a special interest in me and put me on the right path for my future career and life in general. If you’ve read any of these blogs, you know I’m from a small town and obviously went to small schools in my community. On a side note, because of the small community, I was in preschool at the local library through high school graduation with the same people (an aspect I cherish). Now, our kids are in school together and it’s always a treat to see each other at sporting events or other school-related gatherings and events to share memories of growing up and the awkward teen years. I first heard about my favorite teacher Mrs. A when I was in junior high. She taught history, geography, and maybe a few other courses. Her room was in the lower hallway at my school, and she had been a LEGEND for years, meaning everyone, especially lowly junior high kids, was terrified of her. In addition to fears of being stuffed into lockers and actually speaking to a cute girl, the pressure of making it down the lower hallway without Mrs. A yelling at us caused beads of sweat to form on the foreheads of even the coolest upper-classmen. Junior high kids had no chance of survival. Now, obviously, she wasn’t just sitting by her door waiting to prey on unsuspecting children who wander by and get caught in her evil web. She was teaching her classes (and she did not mess around) and if she had to reprimand a student in the lower hallway, they absolutely deserved it. Side note: I was always innocent…weird. Registering as a freshman, the inevitable happened. I had Mrs. A for history and the stomach-churning began weeks before the start of school. Another aspect of the small school (that I did not cherish) was our buildings didn’t have air conditioning until the early 2000s. So, in the early 1990s when we got to pick our seats on the first day of school, we all wanted to sit by the windows to get at least a refreshing breeze of air coming in to break the soupy humidity inside the classrooms. We began the semester learning how to take detailed notes on her lectures. This didn’t seem like a big deal at the time but put a pin in this point for later. We all just knew we hated it. As with any class, bonds began to be formed between Mrs. A and a few of us sitting together in her class. Myself and my best buddies Scott and Shelly all seemed to click with Mrs. A. Don’t get me wrong, we were by no means teacher’s pets. She was just as tough, or even tougher on us as everyone else in the class and expected even more because she saw our potential. Mutual respect formed and as a 13-year-old kid, that felt great and was never forgotten. I ended up having Mrs. A for history classes three years in a row (different classes, I didn’t flunk) and sat in my same window seat as a Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior. Looking back, I should have taken one of her advanced history classes as a senior, but I took home economics instead. Needless to say, Mrs. A was more than disappointed, but “senior-itis” is a thing. Besides, I’ll never need to take notes in my future career (newspaper reporter), or type words on a keyboard (I cheated my way through high school typing class. Sorry Mrs. T). While I was in high school, I always spoke highly of and defended Mrs. A to my classmates and they blew it off, called her mean and too tough (they may have just been jealous). This was when I realized they hadn’t given her the respect she deserved and realized her main purpose in the lower hallway every day was to make us better people and prepare us for the outside world. I literally have tears in my eyes as I type this thinking about the life lessons I learned from Mrs. A during my four years of high school. If I was having a bad day, I could go to her for comfort and advice. She was always there. She did not sugarcoat things and there was a lot of tough love. When we were not being good people, she told us. We always knew she was genuine, she cared and was there if we needed her for anything from life advice to a hall pass when we were tardy. A few years after I graduated from college, I volunteered to help the drama club (which Mrs. A was the long-time sponsor) with the annual spring play. As I was working on my tasks, I watched Mrs. A interact with the kids and could see myself 10 years prior in their same shoes learning to be a “person” with the help of this great lady. She hadn’t changed a bit. Firm, fair, and with their best interests at heart. During one of those rehearsals, she and I had a moment to chat sitting on the side of the stage, and (just like now) with tears in my eyes I got to thank Mrs. A for everything she had done for me and most of all thank her. Then, much to my surprise, I saw a tear run down her cheek. She just smiled and walked over to a group of kids and kept on doing for them what she had always done for me. We celebrate teachers during their own appreciation week each year, but that’s not near… Read More
The Wisper Adventures of Ronnie and Randi
****The names of some characters have been changed to protect whatever***** Earlier this week, in the middle of a crazy (typical) Missouri spring day, two marketing employees for Wisper Internet made their way to the state capitol in Jefferson City from points east and west. They had top-level meetings with three state senators and one state representative who represent districts and counties where Wisper is doing great work connecting residents to reliable broadband internet. The day for Ronnie began before dawn with about a two-hour drive to the capitol. He was able to make it with no real issues except for a little rain and a very tight parking garage. The rain let up just long enough for Ronnie to make it in the building and take the obligatory (mandatory) selfie with the capitol dome in the background for social media. After meeting with Wisper’s fantastic legislative partners near the rotunda, the first of the day’s tribulations began. Ronnie is not a small guy and his counterpart that day, let’s call her…ummm Maudia, did her best to kill Ronnie making him walk up I’d say about 75 to 80 flights of stairs in a building Ronnie knew for a fact has several working elevators. Short of breath we held our first meeting and were joined by..umm Ray, who did a great job highlighting the great things Wisper is doing across Missouri. The trek continued twisting and turning through the marble halls dodging lawmakers and school tour groups. Making their way to the office of a very high-ranking senator and Ronnie actually welcomed the 10-15 minutes they had to wait to catch his breath and have a few sips of much-needed hydration. Meeting over, Ronnie, Ray, and Maudia moved on to the next meeting (again with the stairs, ironically passing directly by working elevators) with another state senator. This one was a bit shorter and then we had a “break”. Now, Randi enters the adventure. This is where it gets really….interesting. Ronnie’s phone rings as Randi is still driving the streets of Jeff City looking for a parking garage. Ronnie had given Randi some great maps a few months earlier, but, of course, they were lost. Maudia is handed the phone to talk Randi into a garage and then we wait as Randi makes her way to the building. Note: it is now pouring rain with strong winds. Oh, did I mention Randi had only been to the capitol once ever and that was decades ago? After several minutes on the phone, a rain-soaked Randi appears on the “correct side” (the one without the river) of the capitol and finally enters the building to join the team for the final meeting of the day. After a trip down more stairs to the café to grab a soda, we actually used an elevator (don’t get excited. More stairs are in the future) and Randi, Ray, Maudia, and Ronnie were all together for a quick “how ya doing” and scarfing down a granola bar before our sherpa leader again led them into the stairwells to our final meeting of the day, about two hours ahead of schedule. Credit Ray for that one. All of the meetings are a great success and now it’s time for Randy and Ronnie to make their way to their respective parking garages and then home. Thanks and pleasantries are exchanged with the stair masters and Rannie and Randi out into the rain. The pair happily make their way past the MoDOT building and governor’s mansion to the garage Ronnie has parked in for years when he travels to Jeff City. “I don’t know if this is the same garage I parked in,” Randi questioned. “Maybe I’m on the lower level?” An attendant was asked and there was in fact NOT a lower level to that garage. “No problem, Randi,” Ronnie interjects. “We will grab my truck and I’ll give you a ride to your garage, so you can stay out of the rain.” Little did Ronnie know, Randi had NO IDEA which garage she had parked (the company car) in. To keep this brief, what seemed like several miles were driven in circles up and down several blocks in and around the capitol looking for the hidden, forgotten, and maybe nonexistent garage before Randi had another great idea. “Take me back to the capitol circle drive where I came in and I’ll have to retrace my steps,” Randi said. “I’ll use my phone (required internet reference) and It’ll get me back where the GPS brought me in.” Unlike other grand adventures (Moby Dick, Indiana Jones, or even Star Wars), I’m sorry to say there is no dramatic or heroic ending….the garage was a block away! A block away. As Ronnie was again circling the block keeping an eye on Randi (and eventually pulling into a one-way lot) a much-anticipated call came that the “company car” had been located and Randi would soon be safely on her way home. Just as an update, both Randi and Ronnie made it home safely and both reported to work the next day. Wisper cares about small towns because that’s where we live too. Maybe some of us should stay in the small towns…I know where my truck is parked…. Read More
Wisper Pledges $500,000 to Improvements in Fairmont City, IL
What were you doing in 2003? More specifically, do you remember something you bought in 2003? I’m betting, unless you had a major life event (marriage, graduation, children) or made a major purchase like a house or car, the answer to both questions would be…No. Let’s break it down even more. If you answered yes to the question about purchases, do you still have that item or product? And to drill down even deeper, is it still as good as it was (or better) 19 years ago? I may be wrong in assuming (because we all know what that does), but I’ll go out on a limb and say the answers to that last set of questions are also a big…No. In 2003, Wisper Internet was created by Nathan Stooke because his neighbor a couple of miles away needed internet service. This doesn’t sound like such a big deal today when everything we do is connected to the internet. Our entertainment, education, work, and even some refrigerators. Look it up, I’m not sure if I should be excited or terrified. I mean, have you ever seen Transformers? After maxing out credit cards and months of research, wireless internet came out on top as the best option for Nathan’s neighbor, and just a few months later Wisper was born. Also in 2003, as one of Wisper’s first ambitious projects, the community of Fairmont City was equipped with wireless internet, and about half of the households in town have been Wisper customers ever since. In recent weeks, Wisper has doubled down on its commitment to Fairmont City with a $500,000 upgrade and retrofit of equipment on both the broadcast towers and customers’ homes. This also included major work on Wisper infrastructure in St. Louis which serves Fairmont City. Now tell me what other product or service you’ve had for 20 years is going to set you up with all-new, state-of-the-art equipment with no new costs. Not going to happen! Last week I had a great phone conversation with someone who has worked in and with Fairmont City for 20-plus years. She was blunt, frank, and honest about the needs in the community and the pros and cons of Wisper for the people she interacts with every day. As a public relations agent for the company, some of what she said was right in line with what I would want to hear from a community advocate. On the other hand, some of it was quite a gut punch. She was by no means being mean. Instead, she was being real, and to be honest, I am grateful to her. In an industry based on customers and serving them (which Wisper takes very seriously), this type of feedback is good. Any person or company can pat themselves on the back and say how great we are, but who purposely looks in the mirror and comments on their warts? Wisper started with one neighbor who needed internet, and now in 2022 has grown to the top wireless internet service provider in the nation providing service to “20,000 neighbors”. As we continue to grow our network across six states using hundreds of millions of dollars through Connect America Fund, we can not forget our roots and the towns that put us on the map, like Fairmont City. I’ve written before about our love of small towns and I’ve mentioned that Wisper is a company with a soul. Our success in the future depends on not forgetting the past. A customer or community from 2003 is just as important as customers and towns we connect in 2023 and 2033 for that matter. It’s easy to get complacent when things are going well, but it only takes one spark to reignite a fire and help a company, employees, and customers stay focused on the past and the future. As the year progresses the Fairmont City project is just the first of about 40 planned for 2022. Add to that, the launch of as many as 20 new wireless broadband towers each month. The snowball is rolling down the mountain. Wisper and its workforce are growing larger every day. Fairmont City, Wisper is sticking with you, thanks for sticking with us. And we promise…no Transformers. Wisper’s Towers are located at: 2905 N 61st St, Fairmont City, IL 62201, USA 2553 N 44th St, East St Louis, IL 62201, USA… Read More
Even Sleep Overs Are Moving Online
Virtual Sleepovers? How do you pillow fight? When you were a kid, was there anything quite as fun as a sleepover, or better yet a slumber party? Now let’s set a few ground rules right away. I understand these are two very different experiences depending on if you are a boy or girl. For boys, it was more like a game of survivor where literally the last man standing would be the only one not to be drawn on with a marker, shaving creamed, or had their hand placed in warm water. It’s normal for pillow fights to draw blood…right…just me and my friends? Nevertheless, the endless hours of fighting sleep, talking about girls, and outright fighting for life were priceless and I’d give anything to do it all over again. Heck, most of us would give anything to stay awake past 9 p.m. much less past midnight and beyond. My couch is a safe space from shaving cream. Now, since I am a boy, I really have no idea what girl sleepovers consist of, but as teenage boys we assumed they were discussing us, boys, all night, doing makeup, and braiding each other’s hair. Oh, and New Kids on the Block and 90210…. right? (Our editor confirms this! And don’t forget the RomComs!) Fast forward a few decades and I’m a dad of a tween who is experiencing her first few sleepovers. Let me tell you they are nothing like the old days. Like it has affected everyday life, work, play, and school, the internet is now part of sleepovers. I had two girls physically at my house, but they were online with who knows how many of their volleyball and track teammates at different times in the evening, not to mention playing games online as well…at least until they fell asleep (more on that in a bit). With social media, face timing, online gaming, and messenger services, what a great time to be a kid. Caution: old man reference forthcoming: In my day, you saw your friends at school and church, maybe an “in town” call in the evening and once summer hit, if you didn’t live within biking distance, you might not see some of your buddies all summer, even though they lived just on the other side of town. This wasn’t a problem in the town I grew up in and live in today. Even if they weren’t technically in biking distance, what your mom didn’t know never hurt her. But if she ever found out…. So back to the slumber party, we went out to a Chinese buffet for dinner and as I do most Saturday nights, despite the extra activity between my daughter’s room and the family room downstairs, I was dozing off on the couch by 9ish. Around 10, I gave it up, said my goodnights, and headed to bed expecting to be kept up all night by giggles and loud music. When I woke up the next morning I shuffled to the living room to watch the news and caffeinate, expecting to have a few minutes of peace and quiet before everyone woke up and I was pressed into breakfast duty. Insert internet reference here: After only about 15 minutes of silent news, weather, and social media surfing on my wireless device, guess what? Two perfectly rested tweens ravenous like werewolves demanding pancakes, despite the empty bag of chips I found on the kitchen counter from the previous midnight snacks. Turns out, they never even made it to midnight, and they were both asleep by 10:40 p.m. No wonder I slept through the night uninterrupted. Oh well, no big deal, there will be dozens of sleepovers to make up for it in their futures and I must admit the pancakes were pretty good for Dad too. Although I do PR for an internet company, I’m compelled to mention one downside of connectivity with friends during a sleepover…. they can connect with boys too! But that’s a subject for another blog…. Read More
Wisper Goes the Extra Mile to ‘Spoil’ their Customers
The extra mile? When did we forget to be nice? A brighter light is shined on being kind and taking the time to go the extra mile for others. These are great things, but at what point did we as humans deprogram ourselves to not put our family, friends, neighbors, and sometimes total strangers first? During a recent meeting with Wisper associates, the phrase “spoiled customer” came up in the conversation. Why exactly are they spoiled? The easy answer is that our employees put them first and legitimately care about them and the services we provide them to make their lives easier. Wow. What a good problem to have. Right? It’s inspiring to know that I work with more than 200 other people who share the same core values of service and caring for others. Wisper is a company with a soul. Every day on both personal and professional social media there seems to be some post about someone helping an elderly person cross the street or rescuing a stray dog. You all know at I’m talking about. Don’t get me wrong, these are great things, most times done without gratitude, recognition, or second thoughts. Hopefully, posting acts of kindness will inspire others to act accordingly. Are those actions and posts for the right reasons? What happened to just being good humans? Are these acts of kindness really so rare that they need to be publicized and documented like a bigfoot sighting? Personally, I wish there were more of both. A great expression I’m sure you’ve all heard is “What do you do when no one is watching?” Can kindness, donations, volunteering, and just generally taking care of each other happen without a social media post? Kind of like working out…but that’s another blog! In a recent magazine interview, Wisper’s Chief Technology Officer Chris Sigley said Wisper wants to provide “not just the last mile, but the last foot” of a customer’s experience. That’s why our customers are “spoiled”. Wisper goes that extra distance and when they do have an issue, they are even more distraught and frankly frustrated because they are used to great internet and customer service. Plus, Wisper brings them something no other companies will….kindness. In addition to my duties at Wisper, I’ve been a first responder for nearly 20 years. A few weeks ago there was a snowstorm in our area which made driving, let’s say, challenging. About two in the afternoon we get a call for a car spinning out in the median on the highway. Long story short, the driver was fine and luckily her car didn’t suffer any damage, she was just shaken up as you can imagine. Her husband quickly arrived on the scene and then something very funny happened. Since the shoulder of the road was a bit treacherous both myself and one of the police officers asked the driver if she’d like one of us to help her to her husband’s vehicle while he negotiated a tow truck. I asked her, “Bet when you woke up this morning, you never dreamed you’d have a cop and a fireman fighting over who got to walk you to your car”. As you can imagine it brought a smile to her face and hopefully put a better spin on what could have been a very bad day. When I got back in the firetruck I took the opportunity to give a non-textbook lesson to one of our “probies” (probationary firefighters). This was an extra mile moment. A little bit of effort from us went a long way. It didn’t need a social post or thank you. It should be organic. It doesn’t cost us a thing to be a good person and to “spoil” everyone we encounter. Take an extra second, open that door for someone, let the other driver go first, or just flash a smile in the store. It goes a long way and it might even be contagious!… Read More
Avoid Constant Ups and Downs with Reliable Service from Wisper
Remember when you were a kid at the county fair, firemen’s picnic, or a big amusement park for the first time? Craning your neck and shielding your eyes from the sun to look up at the top of the roller coaster towering what seemed like hundreds of feet into the heavens. Hearing the screams of riders, feeling the breeze and the sounds of the cars on the tracks as they blurred past at what could be no less than 500 miles per hour. Those roller coasters with names like “Widowmaker”, “The Dragon”, or something to do with screaming or doom. Sounds fun, right? Remember that feeling in your stomach causing the cotton candy and fried garbage you’d been eating all day to do flips flops. It was either from excitement, anxiety, or fear. Probably a combination of all three. You tentatively get in line and try to put on a brave face for your friends, who are probably just as terrified as you are to get strapped into this wood and metal serpent that is sure to bring certain death. The bars come down over your legs and chest and the machine lurches forward. No turning back now. Click, click, click….up the first hill you go. Heart pounding, lump in your throat (definitely the cotton candy), muscles tensed, eyes closed. Whoosh down you go and into the first hills and flips and corkscrews. It was probably at this point you realized you were in fact not going to perish and as the machine winds, turns, and climbs you find your arms raised and screaming not in terror but in pure delight. Delighted that you not only get to keep the contents of your stomach on the inside (hopefully) but delight in the knowledge that you have conquered your fears and in fact can’t want to get back in line and do it all over again. Or better yet, let’s go ride the bigger coaster! So, how does a roller coaster tie into Wisper Internet? You can insert anything you’ve ever been afraid to try in place of the roller coaster. The same fear of trying new things stays with us throughout our lives…Until we conquer it! Over the past few days, spring has arrived in the St. Louis metro area (where Wisper is headquartered). With spring comes renewal, growth, and lots of new things. Spring represents new beginnings. Graduations are in the spring, crops are planted in the spring, love is in the air (yuck, I think I feel the cotton candy coming back up) and the warm weather seems to give us all the desire to start something fresh (Lord knows our New Year resolutions from three months back have long been broken). I’ve said all of that to explain everyone likes to try new things but it’s scary. If you’ve never shopped at a new store or eaten at a new restaurant, that unconscious fear of the unknown is keeping you from doing it. Since our creation nearly 20 years ago, Wisper has focused on bringing wireless internet to areas where services are lacking. In fact, in some areas, Wisper has been the only company that cares enough to provide service. You’ve seen our signs on the road, heard our commercials on the radio, and even overheard your neighbors on the church pews and bar stools talking about Wisper. Spring has sprung and it’s time to try something new. Now is the perfect time to spring into Wisper. Wisper isn’t some faceless, national corporation making empty promises. We have homegrown roots and care about small towns because that’s where we live too. I guarantee just like the roller coaster, halfway through those fears will melt away, you’ll be smiling and wondering why you waited so long…. Read More
‘Small Picture’ Internet – Building Everyday Connections
The smell of popcorn, sounds of bouncing balls, happy voices and squeaking sneakers fill your senses as you walk into the high school or elementary school gymnasium. Athletes are warming up on the floor while parents, friends, and everyone else is precariously climbing the Mt. Everest of bleachers to find the “best” (very uncomfortable) seat in the house to watch their student-athletes perform. This same scenario plays out nearly every night in thousands of schools all over the country. Whether the games are on the home court or at the neighboring rival’s school, parents cheer on their kiddos, and win or lose the unwavering support is always there. While I was attending a recent game for my young student-athlete, I was soaking in the sights and sounds of an unfamiliar gym in a town about an hour away from home. As the girls were warming up I exchanged some pleasantries with a few people sitting near me as they moved by to get to their seats. They were all there to support the home team and clearly saw I was wearing my maroon and white instead of their orange and black. As the first match started, a proud mom with a toddler in tow moved into the row in front of me and quickly pulled out her phone to snap some photos of the game. When I noticed she wasn’t putting her phone down right away I realized she was taking a video instead. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who noticed this as her little guy (who clearly wanted to play with the phone) asked what mom was doing. Her response was “I’m streaming this to grandma.” Since I work for Wisper Internet, and I’m obviously a parent, this struck a chord on two levels. First, here we were in a small-town gymnasium, but we were still connected to the entire world. Second, the internet was responsible for allowing grandma to see their kiddo compete without ever leaving their homes. Once I realized the mom was streaming, I did my best to subdue my cheering, (good luck with that) so I didn’t ruin her video. She smiled and said not to worry about it and she understood that was why we were both there in the first place. We all think of the ‘big picture’ internet: work, entertainment, and school, when we think about the importance of the internet and staying connected. For me, this was “small picture” internet and how Wisper Internet has been connecting communities for nearly two decades. On a personal, everyday level, connections online affect us on the most basic of levels without us even realizing it, like a simple chat with grandma. Man, I wish I could still have those, don’t you? What can be more important than family? Imagine, a set of grandparents being able to cheer on their granddaughter through this amazing thing we call the internet from across town, or across the country. It may not seem like a big deal, but staying connected even on the mini-levels is more important than we can imagine. These connections, big and small, are important to Wisper and always will be. We get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life and sometimes we forget to stop and smell the popcorn. Wisper cares about small towns because that’s where we live too. Oh, by the way, the maroon and white won!… Read More
Wisper and Water Towers: A Match Made in Internet Heaven
Water is the pathway to communication, now pass the spray paint? Since the beginning of time, human beings have settled on the banks of oceans, lakes, and rivers. For centuries, these bodies of water provided food, commerce, protection, trade, and most importantly, an outlet to stay connected. As the settlements grew from tents and shacks to cities, and canoes transformed into sailing ships, the importance of spreading news and information to one another grew in importance as well. These connections by water could literally mean the difference between life and death in the “old days”. Too bad it took a few months to cross an ocean back then. Moving forward in time as steamships and paddle wheelers moved up and down our coasts and rivers, one of the most important commodities they carried was communications in the form of letters, contracts, messages, maps, and any other information people needed to share for business, entertainment, and simple family life. Let’s fast forward about a hundred years to middle America and a landmark in thousands of small towns across the country. Sometimes on the outskirts on a nearby hill, or smack in the middle of the town square stands a water tower. No matter the natural habitat they are found in, water towers all seem to look the same. Usually painted white or blue or gray with a town name proudly displayed hundreds of feet in the air. Many times they are scarred with graffiti affirming teen love, letting the town know a certain graduating class or sports team “rocked” or marked with areas of mismatched paint covering up some four letters words. No, I don’t mean “love”. One specific water tower located down south somewhere was the subject of a very popular country song in the 1990s. If I remember correctly that teen artist (Billy Bob) professed his love to Charlene with a ten-foot heart and green letters three-feet high. Again, just like the oceans and rivers of old, water is still a key to keeping communities connected. With all due respect to Billy Bob and Charlene, water towers are playing an even more important role in keeping small towns and communities connected to each other and the world with wireless internet service. For nearly two decades, Wisper Internet has been installing wireless broadband equipment on dozens of water towers in small towns across the Midwest. Since they are usually the highest point in the center, or near center of a town they are perfect to connect every household within line of sight. In Wisper’s infancy, it understood the importance of water towers and today has equipment attached to 176 water towers in communities like Waterloo, Ill., Lead Hill, Ark., Orongo, Mo., Bluejacket, Okla., and Riverton, Kan., just to name a few. If the internet was around back in the old days, Wisper would have found a way to attach our equipment to whatever we could to keep information flowing. Just like hundreds or even thousands of years ago, water is still key to keeping people connected and the use of water towers today, shows Wisper’s humbly confident focus on customer service, commitment to serving one another, lifelong learning, and driving to solutions. Wisper cares about small towns because that’s where we live too!… Read More