As you add more and more devices and applications to your daily routine, your current Internet Service Provider (ISP) may not be able to keep up with your growing bandwidth demands.

You may be asking yourself …what IS bandwidth and how much do I need? Basically, bandwidth measures how much data can flow through a specific connection at one time. Bandwidth is also referred to as ‘speed’. The speed of your internet service – or lack thereof – can influence the quality of your internet experience.  With today’s technology, faster internet speeds may be required to do what’s important to you and your family.  The more you do online – the faster speed you will need.

The key factors to consider are: the number of users and devices you have accessing the internet at once – and what you will be using the internet for.  Will you just be surfing the net, emailing, and checking Facebook?  Or do you have multiple users using multiple applications?  Maybe you would like to stream videos and movies, do online gaming, connect to a VPN to work from home, upload or download pictures, access your security system, or do online schooling.  Keep in mind, all users, devices, and applications accessing the internet at once are sharing that bandwidth within your home.

SO… now you have to figure out which Internet Provider has what you need, where you need it! If you live in an urban area, you may have lots of choices. National cable and DSL providers like Frontier, CenturyLink, Charter, Mediacom, Verizon and AT&T may be an option if you live in a city. However, if you’re in rural Minnesota, you may need to look for a local Internet Service Provider. Connect Minnesota has an interactive map that lists ISP’s by zip code. It’s a quick, easy and accurate way to find out who serves your community!

Once you have a few Broadband Service Providers picked out, here are a few questions you’re going to want to ask in order to make sure you’re getting what you need at the best possible value for your dollar.

1. Is data usage limited or unlimited? (You definitely want unlimited so you do not have to worry about overage charges each month)

2. Do you cap or throttle usage?

3. Do you charge monthly equipment rental fees?

4. Am I required to sign a contract? And if yes, what are the Early Termination Fees (ETF)?

5. Do I need any other services to get your internet? (a phone line means an additional monthly service fee)

MVTV Wireless provides fast, dependable and affordable 4G broadband internet service using fixed wireless technology called Wimax (the gateway to LTE). And soon, we’ll be offering 5M residential and 7M business plans in select areas!

If you, or anyone you know, has had difficulty finding broadband internet service in rural Minnesota, give us a call. We’ll be happy to check your location for serviceability. Sign up today!