A DISH Network technician installs a ruggedized outdoor router with high-gain antennas to the roof of an area home. The new service is now available in the Coastal Bend. Courtesy Photo
The Coastal Bend is now a national model for DISH Network's new wireless high-speed broadband Internet as the company began installing outdoor routers on rooftops this week.
“DISH has partnered with Sprint to bring Corpus Christi a new high-speed Internet service with competitive 4G LTE speeds,” said David Zufall, DISH vice president of wireless.
Although it's a test, the company says it is committed to providing the service long term at its introductory rates, including free installation and no equipment fees. The $39 a month fee for Internet service with download speeds of 10Mbps drops to $29 a month if bundled with DISH satellite TV service.
DISH chose the greater Corpus Christi metropolitan area for its test because of the market size and the population's use of satellite dishes for TV service.
"Some customers here don't even have service, many areas are not covered well with other services like cable," Zufall said. "Also, this is not a rural backwoods area, but it's also not urban. Urban areas are not good for satellite. We felt like if we can make it work here, we have a better chance to create a nationwide competitive product."
The benefit of the DISH experiment, which is part of a partnership with Sprint's wireless telephone service, goes to the consumer, says Zufill.
"The user experience is good," he said. "What they get is reliable, better, faster service at a good price. We are making it affordable. We have a good cost structure, we can compete aggressively."
Faster Internet will also benefit area businesses, he point out.
"You can improve the quality of a rental experience on the island," he said. "Where you can't justify installing cable, you can use us. That's good for business."
To see if you are in an area with DISH Internet service, call 866-406-6913.
"We are in the bulk of the metro area, Aransas Pass, Ingleside and Port Aransas," Zufill said. "We are struggling with Rockport and may need another tower there."
