WisperTEL saw need to diversify

Bob Mook
Denver Business Journal

Even though it's a small wireless Internet service provider (WISP) that serves a mere 3,000 customers, Evergreen-based WisperTEL claims it provides nearly as many services as Qwest Communications International Inc. -- but with faster speeds and lower costs.

WisperTEL started in 2001 as one of 9,000 WISPs in the country, many of which provide high-speed Internet in areas where DSL isn't available. said Barry Pier, the company's founder and CEO.

In the beginning, WisperTEL's customers were early adopters in Evergreen with few broadband alternatives. But Pier said he quickly recognized that providing straight Internet access wasn't enough to sustain the company.

Last year, WisperTEL began offering voice service through CommPartners, a Las Vegas-based voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) facilitator. Pier said VoIP service offers three times as many features as traditional phone service, including unlimited long distance for $70 a month.

WisperTEL soon will offer TV service through its wireless network, giving it competitive parity with cable providers in the region.

WisperTEL's prices, which range from $29.95 a month for basic wireless Internet service to $199 for a comprehensive package capable of downloading three megabytes, have declined as the company's customer base has grown.

"We see the future as being cost-competitive with DSL and cable," Pier said.

Starting with just 30 Evergreen-based customers, WisperTEL adds about five new subscribers every day. Since 2002, the privately held company has grown from three employees to 13.

Pier said one trade publication recently ranked WisperTEL as the No. 15 WISP in the country in terms of subscribers.

"That's more of a statement on how fragmented the market is than on how big we are," he said.

WisperTEL has built a strong network of transmitters, which are about the size of a brick.

"We've worked carefully with Jefferson County to assure that the antennas are not intrusive," he said. "We don't have to pull a permit to put a repeater site in a neighborhood, and we've worked closely with our vendors to get the pricing down so we can sell our equipment at a consumer-electronics price point."

Using what Pier called "proprietary hardware," WisperTEL overcame the shortcomings of wireless fidelity (WiFi), and strung together a system that could reach 8,000 homes in Jefferson, Clear Creek, Park, Douglas and Denver counties.

The company claims the technology offers a layer of security "beyond any wireless system."

Randy Watler, an Evergreen-based software engineer, has used WisperTEL since its inception.

"In four years, there's only been one outage, and that was due to a lightning strike," Watler said.

Where Watler resides, cable is the only option for high-speed Internet. But he claims cable can't match the rates of WisperTEL service.

Gary Gaessler, founder of Denver Telecom Professionals and regional sales manager for Austin, Texas-based Trillion LLC, said WisperTEL is a good model for entrepreneurial companies venturing into the wireless industry.

"They're taking a focused niche and building out their network," Gaessler said. "There's a lot of underserved areas where wireless provides a nice solution -- or in some cases the only solution."

Pier said WisperTEL plans to continue to expand its network by acquiring other small WISPs.

While the focus is regional for now, Pier didn't rule out growing into other areas outside of the region or the state.