LP Broadband High Speed Internet News

LP Broadband begins installing wireless at Loveland Sports Park

2008-03-17T16:17:00.000-07:00

By Marisa Beahm The Reporter-Herald

LP Broadband, a Loveland Internet provider, began installing equipment Friday to offer free wireless Internet at the Loveland Sports Park.

The free signal will be available to anyone at the park beginning March 24, the day the recreational soccer leagues begin, said Denise Montagu, the business development manager for LP Broadband.

The Internet signal will be live only during park hours, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Effort is being made to ensure the signal won’t bleed outside the boundaries of the park at 950 N. Boyd Lake Ave., Montagu said.

The Loveland City Council approved the installation in February. Gary Havener, the Parks and Recreation director, was supportive of LP Broadband’s proposal, because he didn’t see how it could hurt, he said.

To protect the approximately $2,000 worth of equipment from vandalism, it is being installed indoors or up high where possible, Havener said.
The Web access will be free, but when people connect to the Internet, they will be brought to the LP Broadband home page.

“We get some advertising, people get an amenity, and everybody wins,” Montagu said in January.

Montagu said the wireless service will be convenient for parents, such as herself, who spend long days at the park for their children’s sports practices and games.
Wireless Internet won’t cause any more distraction than books, magazines, cell phones or simply talking to other spectators, Montagu said.

“The parents’ responsibility is to watch their children at the park,” she said.

Jon Braun, an LP Broadband employee, works Friday morning on the roof of the east pavillion at the Loveland Sports Park to install equipment to offer free wireless Internet at the park.

Reporter-Herald/Jenny Sparks

AT&T, TW, Verizon Make Case Against Net Neutrality

2008-02-27T14:40:00.000-08:00

Regulation intended to ensure net neutrality will actually kill Internet innovation and crush an industry that has operated effectively through market forces alone, according to major telecom companies like AT&T, Verizon and Time Warner Cable.

Net neutrality advocates have asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to "medicate the Internet with a preemptive cocktail of experimental regulatory tonics," lawyers for AT&T wrote in an FCC filing.

"Internet regulation proponents have asked that the commission wade into a competitive marketplace driven by a fierce pace of technological innovation and pick winners and losers by regulatory fiat," added attorneys for Qwest Communications.

At the request of Free Press, the FCC is investigating whether "degrading peer-to-peer traffic" violates FCC rules for reasonable network management. The move comes after an Associated Press article and subsequent Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) test last year concluded that Comcast was blocking user access to peer-to-peer networks. Comcast admitted to delaying traffic during peak hours, but denied blocking P2P applications completely.

The FCC is also examining a petition from file-sharing company Vuze that asks for clarification on what constitutes "reasonable network management."
Telecoms like AT&T and Qwest submitted their comments on February 13, the last day the FCC was accepting public comments on the matter.

AT&T took aim at Google, which has sided with Free Press and Vuze on the issue. Google and Amazon last week issued their support for a net neutrality bill that would require the FCC to examine how Internet service providers manage their networks.

"It would be wholly arbitrary to regulate Comcast's purported 'traffic shaping' but not the content-shaping practices of Google within the search and online advertising markets it monopolizes," AT&T wrote.

Free Press complained that only Comcast knows the algorithm they use to shape traffic within Comcast's network. "But Free Press might just have easily been complaining about Google, which alone knows the secret algorithms it uses to order its search results," AT&T said.
None of the companies would address the accusations against Comcast directly, but they all supported the company's attempt at network management.

"Internet backbone service providers have no economic incentive to engage in the traffic management practices that Vuze fears [because] backbone service providers are fully compensated for the use of their network by their direct customers," according to the Global Crossing filing.

"Broadband providers must retain the flexibility to employ traffic management practices to protect their networks," Time Warner Cable's filing said.

The FCC should not expect telecom companies to publicly share its network management secrets, AT&T insisted. "There is no surer way to compromise the integrity of a given network than broadcasting the technical details of how that network is managed," the company said.
AT&T and Verizon have emerged recently as competitors to Comcast, as both phone providers have moved into the video space. Nonetheless, both companies came to Comcast's defense.

Network management is "appropriate and necessary," Verizon wrote in its filing.
Free Press and Vuze ignore the fact that network management is key to stopping threats like viruses and spam, Verizon wrote.

These issues are "best left to network engineers who must respond to real world concerns" and not regulatory agencies like the FCC, Verizon said.

The lone dissenter among providers was Vonage. Given that Vonage's service rides on cable and telecom carriers' services, Vonage is "critically interested in ensuring that its competitors do not use 'reasonable network management' as a pretext to degrade the performance of Vonage's service," the company wrote.

Vonage expressed concern that unchecked network management might impede its customers' ability to access 911 service. It called on the FCC to make sure access to emergency services was guaranteed.

Four years ago, the FCC mandated that VoIP providers like Vonage provide access to 911 after several unfortunate incidents with VoIP customers who were unaware that their Internet-based phone service did not connect to emergency services.

City Council to consider free Wi-Fi at Loveland Sports Park

2008-02-07T08:13:00.000-08:00

Parents who struggle to balance their business lives and their children’s sports schedules may catch a break. LP Broadband, a Loveland Internet provider, has put forth a proposed to provide free wireless Internet at the Loveland Sports Park. The resolution will go before the Loveland City Council for approval tonight.

If passed, the Wi-Fi installation, which takes only one day, will be finished as quickly as possible. The equipment will cost approximately $2,000, said Denise Montagu, the business development manager for LP Broadband.

Montagu of Loveland, proposed the idea to the city of Loveland in October, because she thought it would benefit her business and adults at the park who need constant Internet connections.
“My husband and I sit out at the Loveland Sports Park watching our kids play soccer and practice football,” Montagu said. “A number of times one of us is having (to use the Internet) to finish up work or send a quick e-mail.”

Other parents had also expressed interest to Montagu in having wireless signals at the park.
The connection will be free, but when people connect to the Internet, they will be brought to the LP Broadband home page.

“We get some advertising, people get an amenity, and everybody wins,” Montagu said.

One of the stipulations of installing the Wi-Fi is that it will be turned off when the park is closed.
“We don’t want to encourage people to be going there when it is not open just to get Internet service,” Montagu said.

The Wi-Fi access equipment will be located in the center of the park, and the signal will not be accessible outside the boundaries of the 76-acre park. Although Gary Havener, the Parks and Recreation director, hasn’t heard any feedback about the proposal from City Council members, Montagu expects it to pass, because there has been, “absolutely no opposition.”

If this project is successful, Montagu wants to offer free Wi-Fi at other gathering places like parks or golf courses. The project at the park will be easier to implement than the proposed fee-based Wi-Fi service in downtown Loveland that was discussed last year.

This is because service in the park will be in a smaller, defined area and free of charge, said Marilyn Hilgenburg, the administrative business manager for the city of Loveland Parks and Recreation Department.

“We’re not asking people to buy into the service. It’s not a utility type of access,” Hilgenburg said. Montagu said that offering the service for free is crucial to its success.
“People don’t want to pay (for the Internet connection) when they can go into any Internet cafe and pay $2 for a cup of coffee.”

By Marisa BeahmThe Reporter-Herald

LP Broadband Press

2007-10-16T19:31:00.000-07:00

We know that you stay on top of trends in wireless Internet offerings to keep your readers informed of what is available to them locally. So we want to let you know what LP Broadband has been doing lately to provide our community with locally supported Internet service.

New customers continue to come to LP Broadband at a steady pace: we now serve over 4,500 residents and businesses—a 25% growth rate in the last year! This growth has come from increasing our coverage areas in Northern Colorado and our expansion into Wyoming: we are now providing our reliable wireless Internet service in the entire Cheyenne area.

Also, more and more of our new and existing customers are signing on for our Internet Digital Telephone service (VoIP) and are finding it a viable, affordable alternative to traditional landline phone service. In addition to adding this and other services to our product offering, we have regularly increased performance on all of our services without increasing the cost to our customers.

Many businesses are finding a competitive advantage in offering free Internet access to their customers. LP Broadband now provides hotspots in many local businesses including the Orchards Athletic Club, both Loveland Coffee locations, Dazbog coffee shops in Loveland and Fort Collins, and the Fort Collins/Loveland Airport.

You may have noticed us in the past few months at a number of local events, including

Windsor Harvest Days
Loveland Chamber Business After Hours
Fort Collins Chamber Business After Hours
Cheyenne Chamber Business After Hours
Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce Red Carpet Event for our grand opening
The third annual Bixpo at The Ranch in Loveland

This week we will be hosting the first of a series of free information sessions to help residents in Northern Colorado and Southern Wyoming understand the opportunities and manage the challenges afforded by the Internet. Among the topics we will cover are computing basics and Internet security. Our first presentation will be at the Sunflower adult community in northeast Fort Collins today, October 17, at 7 p.m. If you are interested in covering any of these events, we would be happy to see you there. And your readers may be interested to know that we are happy to take this presentation to other groups in the community; anyone interested should contact us.

Our CEO, Wilson Spence, and others on our executive and technical staff are always happy to answer any questions you might have about wireless service in general or LP Broadband in particular. Let us know how we can help.

http://www.lpbroadband.com/
970.372.2824

Wireless ISP, LP Broadband, Chooses Procera’s PacketLogic for Traffic Management, Lawful Intercept Fulfillment

2007-06-06T13:32:00.000-07:00

Fast-Growing Northern Colorado & Southeastern Wyoming Service Provider Achieves Immediate Benefit through Reduced Virus Outbreaks, Improved QoS and Network Visibility – and Catches a Hacker

LOS GATOS, Calif., and LOVELAND, Colo., June 6, 2007 – Procera® Networks, Inc. (PRNW.OB), a pioneering developer of carrier-grade network traffic and service management infrastructure equipment, today announced that LP Broadband, a wireless high-speed Internet service provider has deployed multiple PacketLogic 7600 systems to manage traffic and services in its Colorado and Wyoming networks. Through the Procera products, LP Broadband has been able to dramatically reduce virus outbreaks, which can consume large amounts of costly bandwidth and impact quality-of-service (QoS) for voice over IP and other critical applications. Further, PacketLogic was instrumental in tracking down a malicious hacker who breached a business customer’s firewall.

LP Broadband, based in Loveland, Colorado, operates in northeastern Colorado and southeastern Wyoming – largely rural areas that were underserved with high-speed broadband Internet by traditional service providers. Founded in 2003, the company has quickly grown to serve more than 4,000 business and residential customers. Residential customers frequently fail to take protective measures against viruses and other malware, and unknowingly unleash them through the network. The PacketLogic systems quickly identify this rogue traffic, and allow LP Broadband to contain and minimize its effect on overall network bandwidth.

“For wireless ISPs, it is critical to be able to manage network traffic effectively – bandwidth is expensive, and adding new trunks to handle the traffic load created by viruses can quickly eat into the bottom line,” said Wilson Spence, CEO LP Broadband, Inc. “With the Procera systems, we’re able to manage our network more efficiently and accurately while preventing the spread of bandwidth-consuming viruses in our network, and protecting QoS for our VoIP service as well.”

For a business customer of LP Broadband, the PL7600 provided essential support in apprehending a hacker. Early one morning, the customer discovered that a server had been accessed overnight, their firewall apparently overwhelmed by a brute-force attack. After receiving a court order, LP Broadband was easily able to track the extent and length of the attack as well as the hacker’s IP address, which were both provided to the business customer for possible prosecution. The PacketLogic series also offers the option of blocking offenders’ IP addresses should multiple attacks occur.

“As LP Broadband has shown, lawful intercept’s requirements can be met for business and residential customers who are victims of Internet attacks,” said Albert Lopez, vice president of worldwide marketing for Procera Networks. “The deep level of inspection provided by PacketLogic allows broadband service providers to respond to these requests, while providing added value through accurate, real-time network visibility and control.”

The PacketLogic product family includes the PL5600, PL7600 and PL7620 models, which range from 1 Gbps to 2 Gbps bi-directional throughput capacity. The modular software design includes surveillance (standard in all PacketLogic systems), filtering, traffic shaping, and statistics options. In addition to the PL7600 systems, LP Broadband has also deployed a PacketLogic statistics server, which allows them to collect and maintain an extended set of historical traffic detail records.

About Procera Networks
Founded in 2002, Procera Networks, Inc. (PRNW.OB) is a global provider of intelligent network traffic identification, control and service management infrastructure equipment. Procera's core product suite, the PacketLogic™ line of appliances, provides the most accurate application identification available today by using the industry leading connection identification engine DRDL™ (Datastream Recognition Definition Language). PacketLogic is deployed at more than 350 broadband service providers (xSPs), Telcos, colleges and universities worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.proceranetworks.com/

About LP Broadband
LP Broadband is a leader in the local wireless service market, providing reliable, affordable, high-speed Internet access that does not require a phone line or cable. Rapidly expanding along the northern front range, LP Broadband currently serves residential and business customers in South Eastern Wyoming and Northern Colorado areas. In response to the ever-changing needs of the local wireless marketplace, LP Broadband continues to expand its services, which now include VoIP, providing clear, digital-quality telephone calls over the Internet for about half the monthly cost of a traditional phone line with no rural surcharges. LP Broadband began business in March of 2003 and is able to provide unparalleled support through local staff and service personnel. For more information about LP Broadband and its services, visit http://www.lpbroadband.com/ or call 307-459-1515.

Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Act"). In particular, when used in this press release, the words "plan," "confident that," "believe," "scheduled," "expect," or "intend to," and similar conditional expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Act and are subject to the safe harbor created by the Act. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and actual results could differ materially from those expressed in any of the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the ability of Procera to commercialize the applicable technology and introduce products and the acceptance of those products by the market, the ability of resellers to sell the Procera products, market conditions, the general acceptance of the Company's products and technologies, competitive factors, timing, and other risks described in the Company's reports and filings with the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) from time to time.

Contact Procera:Evelyn MillerProcera Networks, Inc. 408.354.9238 evelyn.miller@proceranetworks.com

Albert Lopez
Procera Networks, Inc.
408.354.7565
albert.lopez@proceranetworks.com
John Liviakis (Investor Relations)Liviakis Financial Communications Inc.415.389.4670

Contact LP Broadband:Wilson SpenceLP Broadband. Inc. 970.372.2824 wilson@lpbroadband.net

Procera Networks is a registered trademark, and PacketLogic and DRDL are trademarks of Procera Networks Inc. All rights reserved. All other products or brands mentioned are trademarks and/or service marks of their respective owners.

Local Company in "Hiring Mood"

2007-05-02T13:34:00.000-07:00

http://www.reporterherald.com/Top-Story.asp?id=9328

LP Broadband Connects Habitat for Humanity Families to 21st Century

2007-04-18T09:15:00.000-07:00

Internet Access is Key to Innovative Program

FORT COLLINS—Fort Collins Habitat for Humanity today announced that it has partnered with LP Broadband to provide Internet connectivity in Habitat homes as part of its “Digital Bridge” initiative. Through this program, Habitat families will have convenient access to vast amounts of information to help them improve their economic self-sufficiency.

In the deal, locally owned LP Broadband will make available to Habitat families two years of reduced-cost, high-speed Internet access, as well as discounted Internet (VoIP) phone service. Local Habitat volunteers along with LP Broadband personnel will help the homeowners with computer basics as well as how to use the Internet.

“We are grateful to LP Broadband for its commitment to Fort Collins families,” said Candace Mayo, Executive Director of Fort Collins Habitat for Humanity. “We know that Digital Bridge will enhance our mission by helping homeowners gain valuable skills and resources.”

LP Broadband has found this to be a great opportunity to participate in a program that continues to have a positive impact on the community. “We’re excited to help Fort Collins Habitat homeowners in this way. We understand the necessity of being connected to high-speed Internet in today’s technology-driven world,” said LP Broadband CEO Wilson Spence.

ABOUT THE DIGITAL BRIDGE INITIATIVE
Digital Bridge is a technology access program designed to help Fort Collins Habitat families improve their lives through the use of computers and access to the World Wide Web in their homes. Through the Digital Bridge initiative, Habitat families will have equal access to the modern tools that can help them enhance their learning, creativity, employability, economic opportunity and community involvement.

Habitat families participating in the Digital Bridge initiative receive
· A Dell computer and Office 2003 software
· Reduced-cost Internet connectivity through LP Broadband
· Basic computer and Internet training
· Access to a Web portal (www.thebeehive.org) with economic self-sufficiency content

“A computer with Internet access is a standard appliance of the 21st-century home. Bringing technology into the low-income homes will allow families convenient access to the Internet and will no longer limit children to computer use at school or the public library,” according to Mayo.

The Digital Bridge initiative is spearheaded by a full-time volunteer program director provided by the Corporation for National and Community Service (AmeriCorps*VISTA).

ABOUT LP BROADBAND
LP Broadband is a leader in the local wireless service market, providing reliable, affordable, high-speed Internet access that does not require a phone line or cable. Rapidly expanding along the northern front range, LP Broadband currently serves residential and business customers in Loveland, Berthoud, Johnstown, Windsor, Severance, Wellington, Fort Collins, Ault, Eaton, north Greeley and surrounding areas. In response to the ever-changing needs of the local wireless marketplace, LP Broadband continues to expand its services, which now include VoIP, providing clear, digital-quality telephone calls over the Internet for about half the monthly cost of a traditional phone line. LP Broadband began business in March of 2003 and is locally owned and operated, enabling it to provide unparalleled local support. For more information about LP Broadband and its services, visit www.lpbroadband.net or call 970-372-2824.

ABOUT FORT COLLINS HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
Fort Collins Habitat for Humanity, an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, is a non-profit ecumenical Christian organization dedicated to eliminating poverty housing. Habitat for Humanity brings together people with resources and people in need to build simple, decent and affordable houses. The houses are sold at no profit through zero-interest loans. Since its inception in 1987, Fort Collins Habitat for Humanity has constructed 29 homes in the Fort Collins community.

Internationally, Habitat for Humanity has built over 200,000 houses worldwide, housing over 1 million people since its formation in 1976. To become a financial supporter, contact Kristin Candella, Resource Development Director, at (970) 223-4522 x203 or kcandella@fortcollinshabitat.org. Volunteers interested in helping with Habitat for Humanity projects can reach Cathie Waugh, Volunteer Coordinator, at (970) 223-4522 x200 or cwaugh@fortcollinshabitat.org.

The future of high-speed Internet is more reliable and affordable than ever, Thanks to You!

2007-03-28T11:17:00.000-07:00

We at LP Broadband would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your business this past year. We are proud to continue to offer you reliable, affordable VoIP and high-speed Internet service with a local, home-town support advantage.

LP Broadband experienced an exciting 2006 with expanding service areas, upgraded infrastructure that included network segmentation, company acquisitions, and the introduction of VoIP telephone service.

Some of the new locations LP Broadband now covers include Berthoud, Eaton, Pierce, Eaton, Galeton, and Wellington just to name a few, with new service areas being added regularly.
We have also put a lot of effort during the year into upgrading and increasing the overall bandwidth of our network. We have moved our larger wireless backhauls to licensed frequencies, and increased the bandwidth capability to continue to ensure high speed at all points on our network.

In late 2006, LP Broadband introduced VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) service plans to our customers, giving you clear, digital-quality telephone service loaded with features. We take the hassle out of transferring your service. You keep your existing phone number and equipment and there's nothing else to buy. With our VoIP service, there are no long-term contracts or hidden fees, and always unlimited local and long distance USA and Canada calls.

No matter which LP Broadband service plan you have today, you can always change your plan, just give us a call. And remember, if you refer a friend or colleague to our high-speed Internet service and they sign up, you will receive $30 off your next bill! That's all - it's that easy.

Thank you again for an outstanding year and your continued support in 2007.

Wilson Spence, CEO LP Broadband, Inc.

LP Broadband Adds 350 Customers and Expands Coverage in Northeastern Colorado

2007-02-28T10:50:00.000-08:00

LP Broadband Adds 350 Customers and Expands Coverage in Northeastern Colorado

February 13, 2007: Loveland, Colorado. LP Broadband, Inc., announced today that it has acquired the assets of ThinAir Networks. As a result of the deal, 350 Northern Colorado residents and businesses previously served by Windsor-based ThinAir Networks will now receive their Internet access through LP Broadband.

In addition, access points acquired in the deal have enabled LP Broadband to expand its coverage area in northeastern Colorado. As a result, reliable, affordable, high-speed Internet & and Internet phone (VoIP) access is more widely available to businesses and individuals east of I-25, including the communities of Nunn, Pierce, Ault, Eaton, Galeton, Windsor, Lucerne and north Greeley as well as the surrounding rural areas.

In less than a year, LP Broadband has doubled its customer base, which now stands at near almost 4000. The growth has come from new customers and through a number of other acquisitions, including Skybeam, Inc. and Digis Networks.

This growth is consistent with the company’s original vision to become one of the leading wireless Internet service providers along the Front Range, according to CEO Wilson Spence. “Since our inception three years ago, we have been growing steadily, and we now have the infrastructure and resources to extend our services to these rural customers and expand our offering in ThinAir Networks’ coverage area.”

LP Broadband is a leader in the local wireless service market, providing reliable, affordable, high-speed Internet & and Internet phone (VoIP) access that does not require a phone line or cable. Rapidly expanding along the northern Front Range, LP Broadband currently serves residential and business customers in Loveland, Berthoud, Johnstown, Windsor, Severance, Wellington, Fort Collins, Ault, Eaton, north Greeley and surrounding areas. In response to the ever-changing needs of the local wireless marketplace, LP Broadband continues to expand its services, which now include VoIP, providing clear, digital-quality telephone calls over the Internet for about half the monthly cost of a traditional phone line.

LP Broadband began business in March of 2003 and is locally owned and operated, enabling it to provide unparalleled local support. For more information about LP Broadband and its services, visit www.lpbroadband.com.

To speak with an LP Broadband executive, call 970-372-2824.

# # #

LP Broadband loads wireless network base

2007-01-10T08:27:00.000-08:00

LP Broadband loads wireless network base
Acquisitions extend geographic reach, double subscribers
08/18/2006

Source: Northern Colorado Business Report
Author: Kristen S. Bastian

In just a few short months, fast-moving LP Broadband Inc. has more than doubled its customer base.

The Loveland-based wireless Internet service provider recently closed on two acquisitions, bringing its total customers to 3,000.

The first acquisition was of 400-customer Skybeam.net Inc. The Loveland-based wireless ISP provided service to areas in northwest Fort Collins and around Carter Lake. LP began serving Skybeam's customers in July.

The company announced its second acquisition in mid-August. The acquired company, Digis Networks, provided LP with an additional 500 residential and business clients. The added coverage areas included sections of Fort Collins, Wellington, Windsor and Severance.
LP, founded in 2003, is realizing its goal of "being a real alternative to the Qwests and Comcasts of the world," President Wilson Spence said. The company now serves clients from north Longmont to Bellevue, Carter Lake to Severance and many areas in between. It not only serves customers looking for an alternative to one of the larger carriers, but also customers the larger carriers won't reach.

"We're going to expand geographically," Spence said, outlining a plan for expanding LP's reach along the U.S. Highway 85 corridor, eastern Colorado and eventually into southeast Wyoming and western Nebraska.

LP provides its broadband service wirelessly. Customers install a receiver about the size of a 1980's cell phone on their house or building. The receiver connects with an access point, which is either hard wired or wirelessly connected to LP's system. The system and technology is referred to as a canopy system.

The system is preferable for wireless Internet access, according to Spence. If there is an issue with one access point, only the receivers using that point are affected, rather than the entire system.

"With Digis, they already had some canopies in their system," Spence said.
The company has already replaced some WiFi systems included in the acquisition, but is planning on leaving others in place.

H-P, Agilent vets
A familiarity with the technology is essential in the ISP industry. LP's executive team is made of a group of former Hewlett- Packard Co./Agilent Technologies employees. Spence, along with CFO Scott Perich, Mark Schleiger, vice president of operations and Jerry Schleiger, infrastructure manager, all worked together on a team DSL team before Spence started LP.
But having knowledge of the systems and proving that knowledge are two different things. Getting a start in the competitive ISP industry can be hard.

"The first year, nobody would touch us on the business side," Spence said.
Currently, about 10 percent to 15 percent of LP's clients are businesses. Spence would prefer to see the business customer base grow to 25 percent. Having a good mix of business and residential customers is beneficial since business customers are typically using the service during the day and residential customers in the evening, balancing the use of the system.
Spence's goal is to expand to 4,500 customers by the end of the year and to double that by next year.

"This year was the year of the acquisition, as will be the next year and the next year," he said. Skybeam was LP's first buyout.

Not all growth will be by acquisition. For LP, growing organically is important, too. Growing by acquisition comes with a unique set of complications. Systems, from infrastructure down to billing, must be reconciled.

In addition to growing geographically and growing its customer base, LP is also growing its services. The company will begin offering voice over Internet protocol by the end of this month.
The team expects to continue to add services, but didn't specify what could be next. In the fast-paced technology realm, it's often a case of upgrade or die. Upgrades and additional offerings are capital-intensive projects, a fact that is fueling consolidation.

Consolidation is a major trend in the ISP industry. The investment to get beyond several hundred customers is not small. "A lot of companies can't get to the next step," Wilson said. "We made that jump a long time ago and now we're making the next jump."

The competition Frederick-based Mesa Networks, which serves about 7,000 customers along the Front Range, has found gold in the acquisition market. Early on, much of the company's growth was organic. But as the market became more competitive, the organic growth slowed. More recently, Mesa has grown through acquisition.

Just last year, the company purchased Peak Internet Solutions. The acquisition gave the company a strong presence in Colorado Springs. The company was ranked the No. 5 fastest-growing company in Northern Colorado by the Business Report's Mercury 100 awards.
Greeley-based Whatwire Broadband isn't one that will be left behind, either. Bud Stanley started the company in 2003 with his son, Rob. Bud Stanley opened Stanley Commercial Radio in 1956 and sold his network to Nextel in 1990.

Whatwire mostly serves customers east of Interstate 25 out to Kersey and as far south as Platteville. The company started small, but has made several upgrades along the way. "It's a rather expensive process," Stanley said.

Bigger pipe
The company recently installed a larger pipeline, increasing the size of its broadband. The upgrade will allow Whatwire to expand without risking loss of service quality. Right now, Whatwire serves about 850 customers, but plans to see some growth soon.
"All our growth up to this point has been organic," Stanley said. However, the company is in discussions to pick up some smaller providers. Stanley estimates that the company will grow its user based by 20 percent to 30 percent with a couple of the deals currently in the works.
"Conversely, we've got people trying to buy us," he said. Stanley doesn't rule out the possibility that Whatwire might get picked up, but that isn't keeping the company from expanding vertically.

Stanley recently purchased a new property for Whatwire, moving the company from downtown Greeley to west Greeley. The property included the tower that the company uses to provide its customers with service. Several cell phone companies also use the tower.

LP Broadband Expands Coverage Area

2006-11-06T07:27:00.000-08:00

LP Broadband has now expanded internet service to more fo the Northern Colorado area including:

Carter Lake area
Masonville
Northwest Fort Collins and
Wellington

LP Broadband will soon be bringing high speed internet service to the Northeastern Colorado area!

Visit our website for more information: www.lpbroadband.net