What Is Wi5 Connect?
Wi5 Connect is a small network of wireless base-stations operated by 5NINES (a local provider of “enterprise cloud, data, and Internet services”), which offers wireless, medium-speed Internet access in the city of Madison. WiFiMadison.com is a “buyer’s club for bandwidth” operated by Osmond Technologies, which handles Wi5 Connect residential sales and fulfillment, plus first-level customer and technical support.
Wi5 Connect is similar to your voice cell-phone service: it is wireless “best-effort” technology. This means that, just like your cellphone, there may be occasional momentary fades and drop-outs. There may be some locations that are reception “dead-spots”. But all in all, it delivers all the bandwidth that a typical household needs, very smoothly. Sufficient for a Netflix stream or two, plus all the email and web-browsing you like.
Pros:
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- Low Cost! ($20/month, not $50-70/month)
- No cables or wires to your house (to fail from heavy rains or ice storms)
- Net Neutral (to the maximum of our ability)
Cons:
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- Sign-up cost ($150 fee for membership and router)
- Speed limitations (not suited for bandwidth-intensive home-business use)
- Possible coverage issues at some locations
- Limited up-load speeds
Membership fees payable:
- as a single first-month payment of $150 (includes first month’s subscription)
- as 5 monthly payments of $30 added to first 5 months’ subscription charges
(first 5 months @ $50/mo; subsequent months @ $20/mo)
Osmond Technologies is a disabilities-owned and operated technology-services company. Its founder is a Madison native and second-generation tech services professional.