ShoreWaves Internet, founded by three residents of the Michigan’s Copper Country, is focused on providing high speed, affordable, and high quality wireless Internet access to areas that up until now have had very limited options available.
“Our goal is to reach as many unserved households as possible,” says Steven Fitzgerald, ShoreWaves partner. “We’re reaching out to residents who cannot get fast, reliable Internet by a land line, or who have tried an alternative such as satellite and found it didn’t meet their needs.”
Steve, who resides in the Liminga area off of Canal road, has been waiting for highspeed Internet service for 15 years. Like his business partners, he makes a trip to the Jutila Center Campus in Hancock, where ShoreWaves is located, to utilize the Internet.
“All I can get at home is satellite Internet, and it is simply impossible to accomplish many important business tasks with satellite. I cannot even get a clear phone line at my home! I have to drive in every day. It’s a waste of energy and time. And I have found that I am far from alone. There are many Copper Country professional and business people in the same predicament. We have also found there are many Copper Country students from elementary school through college and online universities that are disadvantaged by the lack of full-service Internet where they live.”
The ShoreWaves service is up and running today in Liminga and several other areas. Shorewaves is working with local cities and townships to coordinate potential areas of service. To guide expansion of the network to where it is needed most, residents are asked to complete a brief online survey.
“ShoreWaves is really different from most communications companies. The others will try to get one location on a high tower. If you’re not served, you’re not served. We want to identify those unserved areas and deliver a quality, reliable service. We have several technologies available to provide this service depending on several factors.”
Multiple plans are available – from unlimited data usage to specials for snowbirds – to fit customer needs.
“With our snowbird plan, people receive their Internet and phone services from us in the summer. When they head south for the winter, we can turn off their Internet and forward their phone number to their new location or mobile phone,” Fitzgerald says. “This is a great convenience for them and their friends who stay year-round.”
National statistics show 30% of Internet traffic between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. is Netflix users. Satellite and cellular Internet customers don’t have the luxury of using the video-on-demand media-streaming service because of monthly data usage limits, unless they’re prepared for costly overage fees. ShoreWaves offers special plans for video streaming, online gaming and other online activities that require a high-speed connection. And the best part about it — customers deal with a local contact.
“If you call for help or have a question about billing, you reach people right here in Hancock. You won’t get someone from somewhere else and you won’t get a machine.”
While ShoreWaves is a private venture that required substantial financial investment from the business partners, Fitzgerald says they’re optimistic about the company’s growth because of the strong demand for their services.
“The three of us could have built a really expensive Internet link just for us to use, but instead we’re spending more and making it available to everyone. We are experienced networking professionals that know how to build and operate this service, and we are delighted to offer it to the Copper Country at large.”
A long-time resident and local entrepreneur, Fitzgerald has been in the business of data networking since he was a student at Michigan Technological University in the early 1970s. In addition to his partnership with ShoreWaves, he owns local business communications companies Consistacom and KPBizNet.
“Everything we have been doing up to now centered on business communication services. While ShoreWaves is a residential service, we know that it will be used by many people to work from home. From an economic development perspective, this service is a real boost for the community.”
If you have any interest in our high speed Internet service, please complete our brief survey today!