Start-up Promises Faster, Cheaper Wireless Broadband Connections

Starry, a New York-based start-up promises faster, cheaper broadband connections than what traditional ISPs can currently offer. Starry’s founder and CEO Chet Kanojia pledged that the new service would become available in Boston this summer.

The company said that the wireless service, dubbed Starry Internet, would come at a much lower price than what traditional cable and telecom companies have to offer. Kanojia explained that the cost to install the service would be around $25 per home while the monthly subscription would be no higher than $70 per line.

If the new service becomes a success in Boston, Starry plans to go nationwide. Nevertheless, the current pricing is not final, but it will be considerably less than what cable and phone companies currently charge.

Additionally, the infrastructure of the new service is far less complex than wired networks. Everything will be wireless, no cable involved. Starry also promises that the connection speeds will be 10 times greater than home broadband speed, i.e. about 1 GB. Furthermore, there would be no data caps on heavy consumers, the start-up pledges.

Kanojia noted that the market has room for innovation and competition as recent surveys have shown that consumer satisfaction is one of the lowest on the broadband service market.

Verizon, Time Warner Cable and Comcast declined to comment on the news.

Starry said that its Wi-Fi hubs would cost $350 per station. Stations are equipped with a touchscreen that displays speed, Internet signal, and parental controls. The hub can be connected to other wireless devices including mobile phones and even appliances in connected homes. Starry stations are compatible with any Internet service.

You can already pre-order the device on the company’s site. Next month, you can pre-order it on Amazon, as well. The exact shipping date was not revealed but it would happen at some point in March.

Starry Stations will be paired with Starry Beams, some hubs that would be installed on rooftops from where they can emit high frequency radio signals. Though the frequency is tremendously high– 39 gigahertz, while traditional ISPs use frequencies of up to 700 megahertz– the signal does not travel far. So, the Beams should be placed every mile for full coverage.

Users will also need to purchase a Starry Point, which is a receiver of the Beams’ signal. But because 39 GHz frequencies cannot travel through solid objects such as walls, Starry Points will be placed partially outside, partially indoors. The Points will funnel the signal to the Stations.

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