Gigabit Internet is definitely going on in parts of Colorado, albeit it is still hit and miss. It popped up for residents in Denver and Longmont last year, for businesses in Boulder and Fort Collins this week and in unexpected cities like Pueblo and Montrose.

While not everyone needs gigabit — or 1,000 megabits per second — the move to faster speeds is inevitable. Internet providers are targeting business users first as they move to shifting their data to online storage. That was the impetus of CenturyLink’s move yesterday to expand gigabit service to businesses in Aurora, Fort Collins and Boulder on Monday (read the story: “Aurora, Boulder, Fort Collins get gigabit Internet for businesses“).

If you’re curious or wondering when it will be available in your neighborhood, here is what we know today:

CenturyLink — Launched gigabit service to businesses and residential last fall in 16 Denver neighborhoods (and Colorado Springs). There’s a few more today but if you check online and your home is eligible, you should call 877-417-3972 to verify and (and let me know if there’s a discrepancy with availability). Here’s the current neighborhoods where CenturyLink offers gigabit service:
Baker, Bonnie Brae, Belcaro, Cole, Congress Park, Corey Merrill, Overland, Park Hill, Platt Park, Rosedale, Stapleton (certain parts), Washington Park West, Washington Park East, University, University Park and Villa Park.

This week, CenturyLink turned on gigabit service for thousands of businesses in Aurora, Boulder and Fort Collins. The areas within the city that can likely order service are:

• Aurora: Fitzsimmons redevelopment, Lowry redevelopment, Aurora Mall, Buckingham Mall redevelopment, The Forum at Fitzsimmons, Buckley Air Force Base

• Boulder: 29th Street Mall, Pearl Street Mall, University Hill

• Fort Collins: Selected areas

Comcast — Offering multi-gigabit Internet (1 to 10 gbps) to businesses in the metro Denver area since at least 2011 — and it’s now available to Denver-area businesses “in the majority of Comcast’s” coverage area, said a spokesperson. The cable company recently pledged another $10 million into its gigabit for businesses. As for residential gigabit service, Comcast announced in April Gigabit Pro is coming to Atlanta in April and later in California. Denver residential customers can expect gigabit this year.

Rise Broadband — Formerly JAB Broadband, this Douglas County company tends to focus on remote and rural residents and businesses using fixed-wireless Internet service. But it does offer 1 gbps speeds, at around $2,500 a month, to cities including Loveland, Montrose, Pueblo and outside of Castle Rock. Businesses must be within 15-miles of Rise’s fixed-wireless towers.

Longmont — In November, the city of Longmont began selling gigabit service to residents in the south central part of town. Residents could get in on a “charter member” plan for $49.95 a month. It just began rolling gigabit out to business users and charges $800 a month.

Level 3 Communications — The Broomfield company is probably better known for owning the Internet backbone, which connects countries to one another using under-sea cables. But since Level 3 owns so much cable in the U.S. too, it offers medium to super large businesses gigabit Internet — up to 100 gbps. Those customers tend to be Internet service providers. Others in this space include companies like Zayo Group in Boulder.

Google Fiber — While the company registered to do business in Colorado in March and appears to charge a mere $100 a month for businesses (less for consumers), we are not on its list. As of Monday, we are still not on the list, according to a spokesperson. Only these cities are.

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Digis is changing its colors. Literally. The local fixed wireless Internet service provider known for its green color-schemed branding, will now be in red and under a new name, Rise Broadband.

Digis is actually a local provider run under parent company, JAB Broadband, based in Colorado. Digis started in 1999, and was acquired in 2006 by JAB. At that time, the company opted to keep the Digis name because of its brand awareness. Now almost 10 years later, the company has acquired about 100 more ISPs, big and small. Prior to the name change, new ISP acquisitions were rolled under one of five different brand names, depending on its location.

Because of JAB’s expansion — it now serves 15 states — the founders have opted to take all five brands under the same umbrella. One major benefit to this, said Jeff Kohler, co-founder of JAB Broadband, is that prior to the name change, executives at JAB had to make five versions of their marketing materials, websites, and the like.

“We chose the name Rise Broadband, because we’ve always focused on primarily serving those in unserved and underserved areas,” said Kohler. “It’s basically about raising the bar of service for those in areas, including rural, who only have dial-up as their Internet option, or don’t want to use cable.”

JAB employs more than 800 employees, with more than 150 employees here in Utah at its warehouse and call center in American Fork. All employees will stay on with the name change, and Rise Broadband will continue to service its 185,000 customers without any noticeable blip in coverage.

“The change in name will have very little impact on our subscribers, as we will maintain the level of customer care and service that we have always been known for,” said Edward Martin, American Fork director of field marketing for Rise Broadband. “Rise Broadband is an easier name to recognize, plus better describes who we are as an enterprise — that is we give our subscribers the ability to receive high-speed internet in areas where other companies simply can’t, due to their infrastructure.”

Not only does the name change simplify and unite the ISPs, but it hopes to represent the future for the company as a whole.

“Our new name, Rise Broadband, represents our unwavering dedication to connect customers with the people and things they value most — whether they live in rural, remote or suburban areas,” said Jack Koo, president and chief executive officer, in a press release. “In the coming months, we are making a significant investment in our network to provide increased reliability and faster speeds to better deliver the communications, information, education and entertainment our customers depend on.”

Rise currently has a concentration of Utah customers in Salt Lake City, Bountiful, Ogden, Logan, Provo, Orem and Eagle Mountain but expects to expand to surrounding markets.

“Our projections over the next few years include continual growth through organic means, as we continue to upgrade our network and infrastructure in both the residential and commercial arenas,” Martin said. “Because new technology is being developed continually with the ability to offer higher bandwidths on a more efficient basis, we will continue to see new offerings that complement how people actually communicate today, and into the future.”

About Parent Company Rise Broadband

Rise Broadband, formerly known under the JAB Broadband name, was incorporated in 2005 and previously operated as Digis, Prairie-iNet, Skybeam, T6 and Communications throughout 15 states; offering affordable high-speed internet and phone broadband services with speeds ranging between 3 Mbps and 1 Gbps. In the past 18 months, the organization has garnered national and international acclaim for its technology, innovation and customer service:

Awarded $16.9 million through the FCC’s Rural Broadband Experiment program

Top 100 Global Companies in 2014 by Red Herring Magazine

America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies in 2014 by Inc. Magazine

Top 100 North American Companies in 2014 by Red Herring Magazine

Operator of the Year in 2013 by the Wireless Internet Service Provider Association

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ABILENE, Texas – While a broadband Internet provider in Abilene gets a major rebranding, another logs off by November.

Rise Broadband is the new brand name for Communications, which offers high-speed wireless Internet and digital phone service in rural and suburban areas surrounding Lubbock, Abilene, Dallas/Fort Worth, San Angelo, Wichita Falls and other locations.

Parent company JAB Broadband rebranded all its divisions under the Rise name, said Richard Abels, Rise’s spokesman.

Rise has been offering services in the area for a number of years, starting out as Xanadoo Wireless High Speed Internet.

“The parent company (JAB) acquired Xanadoo and then they acquired Texas Communications,” Abels said, and JAB rolled the whole into Communications, which it had also had acquired.

According to a statement from the company, the new name unifies its efforts to deliver service to nearly 200,000 homes and businesses throughout 15 states.

Jack Koo, president and chief executive officer, said in a statement that the company will in coming months make significant investments in its network to provide increased reliability and faster speeds.

Since its incorporation in 2005, the company has acquired 108 wireless Internet service providers.

Abels said that Rise’s focus and scope is “suburban, remote and rural,” its fixed wireless signal delivered through a cell site to homes or businesses.

CLEAR CLOSING

Those in Abilene who use the CLEAR 4G (WiMax) or Clearwire Expedience network will need to find different options. Sprint, which owns CLEAR, has emails to customers advising them the services will shut down Nov. 6.

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BOISE — Rise Broadband is the new brand name for Digis; continuing its commitment of providing high-speed wireless Internet and digital phone service. It serves suburban and rural areas surrounding Boise, Pocatello, Twin Falls and Nampa, as well as Idaho Falls, Preston, Blackfoot and other Idaho locations.

Today, parent company JAB Broadband, the nation’s leading fixed wireless Internet service provider, rebrands all of its divisions under the Rise name. This new name unifies the company’s efforts in delivering reliable and affordable service to nearly 200,000 homes and businesses throughout 15 Rocky Mountain, Southwest and Midwest states.

Since its incorporation in 2005, the company has acquired 108 wireless Internet service providers and now has 800 employees helping eliminate the digital divide throughout Rise Broadband’s rural and suburban service area. Additionally, in the past 18 months, the organization has garnered national and international acclaim for its technology, innovation and customer service.

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DENVER–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Rise Broadband, the nation’s largest fixed-wireless broadband service provider, announces its funding of No Barriers’ Colorado Collegiate Range Expedition; helping disabled veterans tackle and overcome personal challenges.

“Just as we help customers eliminate the digital divide barrier with affordable, high-speed Internet in rural and suburban areas, we are honored to help ten veterans reconnect with their communities by funding No Barriers’ Colorado Expedition”

“Just as we help customers eliminate the digital divide barrier with affordable, high-speed Internet in rural and suburban areas, we are honored to help ten veterans reconnect with their communities by funding No Barriers’ Colorado Expedition,” said Jack Koo, Rise Broadband’s president and chief executive officer.

Because of Rise’s involvement, ten individuals will be chosen for a fully-paid team-building mountain expedition in Rise’s home state of Colorado from October 13 – 19, 2015. The week includes preparation, a 20-mile wilderness trek, ropes course and strenuous climb; all designed to push veterans physically and mentally while providing a training ground for stretching goals, facing adversity and leading/serving others.

Nominations are being accepted at www.nobarrierswarriors.org/rise-nominate/.

• Nominees must be a veteran who demonstrates the desire to overcome his/her barriers and live a life of purpose
• Rise customers are encouraged to nominate their family members, relatives or friends. Self-nominations are acceptable.
• Deadline is Friday July 24, 2015
• Nominees must live in CO, UT, ID, NV, TX, OK, NE, SD, MN, IA, WI, IL, IN, WY, KS

No Barriers will review all nominations and select ten participants and two alternates in mid-August.

About Rise Broadband

Rise Broadband is the nation’s largest fixed wireless Internet provider; serving nearly 200,000 rural and suburban residential and commercial accounts in the Midwest, Rocky Mountain and Southwest regions.

Incorporated in 2005 as JAB Broadband, the company rebranded all operations as Rise Broadband in 2015 – including regional divisions Digis, Prairie-iNet, Skybeam, T6 and Communications.

Today, Rise Broadband offers affordable high-speed broadband (Internet and phone) services in 15 states; with speeds ranging between 3 Mbps and 1 Gbps.

Rise Broadband is headquartered in metro Denver. For information, visit www.risebroadband.com.

About No Barriers Warriors

No Barriers Warriors is a non-profit organization empowering disabled veterans and transitioning service members as well as survivors of the fallen to break through barriers, find their inner purpose and contribute their best to the world. Learn more at www.nobarrierswarriors.org.

Contacts

Abels Communication Company
Richard Abels, 303-779-6292
rabels@AbelsComm.com

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LOVELAND — Jeff Kohler has made and received a lot of calls during his two decades in the wireless industry, but it was the calls he received as an investment banker that gave him an idea.

Kohler served as director of corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions with a Colorado-based boutique investment-banking firm, GVC Capital LLC, focusing on mergers, acquisitions and capital formation for wireless companies. In that role, he received a lot of calls from small wireless-Internet service providers that were undercapitalized and unable to keep up with demand in largely rural areas.

The companies were profitable, but their small size made it difficult for them to raise capital, invest in infrastructure or grow, especially in rural areas not well-served by cable or satellite companies.

“That’s really what gave birth to the idea,” Kohler said.

What was the idea? Build a new company that would acquire these smaller providers, build economies of scale, raise capital and provide high-speed Internet service to rural customers ignored by larger providers.

Enter what is now Rise Broadband, a company based in Englewood but whose first acquisition was in Loveland. The company now employs 165 people at its Loveland facility at 619 14th St. S.W., with plans to add at least another 10 in the coming months. About 135 of the Loveland employees work at the company’s call center, with the balance managing its network. The company employs a total of 800 workers.

The Loveland operation “is really the most important hub that we have in the country,” said Kohler, the company’s co-founder and chief development officer.

Kohler founded what is now Rise in 2005 with James Vaughn, who has since retired from the business.

The company likens its strategy to a doughnut, with large wireless service providers such as AT&T, Comcast, Verizon and others focusing on large urban areas. In contrast, Rise focuses its resources on suburban and rural areas “where the capabilities of its larger competitors diminish.”

After just a decade in business, Rise ranks as the nation’s largest fixed wireless broadband service provider, with almost 200,000 customers in 16 states in the Midwest and West, including Colorado. The company focuses on providing high-speed Internet service in previously underserved or unserved areas. Revenue totaled more than $125 million in 2014.

Kohler and Vaughn initially raised money from high-net-worth individuals – enough to raise $10 million and purchase six companies in its first year in business. But as the company reached a milestone of 30,000 customers, it secured a $33 million investment from a Boston-based private equity group. Funding currently comes from GE Capital. All told, Rise has spent almost $100 million on acquisitions, for a total of 110 companies purchased.

Early examples included LP Broadband and Skybeam, both based in Loveland and forming the starting point for Rise’s string of acquisitions.

Rise formerly operated as JAB Wireless but maintained six different brands – including JAB Broadband, Skybeam, Rhino Communications, T6, Prairie i-Net and Digis – a fact that Kohler said was confusing to the public, capital markets and the Federal Communications Commission. So the company rebranded itself as Rise Broadband in May, although JAB Wireless remains the parent.

“It’s more expensive to operate with that many names,” Kohler said.

Rise’s rural and suburban doughnut strategy appears to have come at a good time. The company this year received a $17 million subsidy through the FCC’s Rural Broadband Experiments, designed to bring high-speed Internet service to rural areas.

The FCC estimates that 55 million Americans, or 17 percent of the population, lack access to high-speed Internet service, but the need especially is acute in rural areas, where 22 million people, or 53 percent of the rural population, lack broadband.

“While significant progress in broadband deployment has been made, due in part to the Commission’s action to support broadband through its Universal Service programs, these advances are not occurring broadly enough or quickly enough,” according to an FCC report, which concluded that “more work needs to be done by the private and public sectors to expand robust broadband to all Americans in a timely way.”

Rise’s rise has focused on acquisitions, as established wireless ISPs have largely obtained the best locations for towers, Kohler said. That could be on grain elevators, water towers, silos or other buildings. He said it’s important that Rise’s equipment has a “clear shot” to a home for the best, fastest service.

If that clear shot doesn’t exist, the solution is more tower sites, he said, adding that Rise has spent $300 million on infrastructure in Colorado alone.

Christopher Wood can be reached at 303-630-1942, 970-232-3133 or cwood@bizwestmedia.com.

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Rise Broadband (formerly JAB Broadband), the nation’s largest fixed wireless broadband service provider, is being awarded $16.9 million to deliver affordable high-speed Internet and phone service to unserved or under-served homes and businesses in five states through the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Rural Broadband Experiment program.

As one of the FCC’s award designees, Rise will ultimately offer wireless broadband service to more than 43,000 homes and businesses in rural parts of Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Texas. The award was made to the company’s Skybeam, LLC subsidiary which was rebranded as Rise along with the rest of the organization in May 2015.

“The FCC Rural Broadband Experiment ensures people in remote areas will have access to high-speed, affordable Internet and phone service – closing the digital divide and providing the communications access they need and deserve,” said Jack Koo, Rise Broadband’s president and chief executive officer. “By enhancing information, streaming, education, and entertainment, we help individuals and businesses in remote areas connect with the people and things they value most; supporting each area’s economy in the process.”

The FCC Rural Broadband Experiment was created in 2014 to identify reliable, affordable alternatives of bringing high-speed broadband service to rural residents across the country. The program’s investment is $100 million; with no one bidder able to receive more than $20 million.

The FCC received more than 575 bids from 181 companies. Rise Broadband was chosen based on the cost effectiveness of building its networks and by demonstrating a proven track record and technical expertise in delivering broadband service to rural areas.

About Rise Broadband

Rise Broadband is the nation’s largest fixed wireless Internet provider; serving nearly 200,000 rural and suburban residential and commercial accounts in the Midwest, Rocky Mountain and Southwest regions.

Incorporated in 2005, parent company JAB Broadband rebranded all of its operations as Rise Broadband in 2015 – including regional divisions Digis, Prairie-iNet, Skybeam, T6 and Rhino Communications.

Today, Rise Broadband offers affordable high-speed broadband (Internet and phone) services in 16 states; with speeds ranging between 3 Mbps and 1 Gbps.

Rise Broadband is headquartered in metro Denver. For more information, visit www.risebroadband.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

The information in this news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding the company’s business strategy and expectations. Any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” or “continue,” the negative of such terms or other comparable terminology. Actual events or results may differ materially. The company disclaims any obligation to publicly update these statements, or disclose any difference between its actual results and those reflected in these statements. The information constitutes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

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Douglas County’s Rise Broadband picked up $16.9 million from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. The money is to be used for the agency’s Rural Broadband Experiment program to make high-speed Internet available to underserved areas.

Rise, formerly JAB Broadband, said that the $16.9 million award will be used to build its networks in rural parts of Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Texas. Ultimately, Rise will be able to offer broadband to 43,000 homes and businesses in those states.

The FCC awarded the money to Skybeam, a Rise subsidiary. In May, JAB merged all of its acquired companies and brands under the name of Rise Broadband. I

Rise is one of the largest providers of Internet in rural areas. It offers fixed-wireless Internet, with speeds between 3 mbps to 1 gpbs. Speeds are dependent on the distance a user is from fixed-wireless towers.

The FCC’s program was more of an experiment to get broadband to areas where there wasn’t any. But instead of relying on the same format of its universal telephone service, the FCC set aside $100 million and put it out for bid. More than 575 bids came from 181 companies. No bidder was able to get more than $20 million.

As part of the award, the FCC said Rise will offer those rural broadband customers Internet service speeds of at least 25 mbps download and 5 mbps upload.

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Ten Vets Will Walk 50 Miles on No Barriers Warriors’ Colorado Training Program.
Local Community Walks Show They Are Not Alone.

Rise Broadband, the nation’s largest fixed-wireless Internet service provider, is encouraging individuals and / or groups across the country to Walk With the Warriors to show unity with ten disabled veterans who are being selected to participate in Rise’s upcoming Colorado Mountain Expedition. The week-long Colorado Collegiate Range Veteran Expedition is organized by non-profit No Barriers Warriors.

Rise is underwriting the mountain training on October 13-19, 2015; where ten disabled veterans will tackle personal challenges and overcome obstacles in advance of re-engaging in their communities. During the week, each participant will walk at least 50 miles on his or her journey.

“In addition to funding this important program and fielding our own Walk With the Warriors employee team, we are encouraging customers, friends and local residents to form their own groups to walk and support the disabled veterans and families served by No Barriers Warriors,” said Jack Koo, Rise Broadband’s president and chief executive officer.

October’s Colorado Collegiate Range Veteran Expedition will include pre-event preparation, a 20-mile wilderness trek, ropes course, strenuous climb and more; all designed to push veterans physically and mentally while providing a training ground for stretching goals, facing adversity and leading / serving others.

More information about Rise Broadband and the Colorado Collegiate Mountain Expedition is available at risebroadband.com/events/.

About Rise Broadband
Rise Broadband is the nation’s largest fixed wireless Internet service provider; serving nearly 200,000 rural and suburban residential and commercial accounts in the Midwest, Rocky Mountain and Southwest regions.

Incorporated in 2005 as JAB Broadband, the company rebranded all operations as Rise Broadband in 2015 – including regional divisions Digis, Prairie-iNet, Skybeam, T6 and Rhino Communications.

Today, Rise Broadband offers affordable high-speed broadband (Internet and phone) services in 16 states; with speeds ranging between 3 Mbps and 1 Gbps.

Rise Broadband is headquartered in metro Denver. For information, visit risebroadband.com.

About No Barriers Warriors
No Barriers Warriors is a non-profit organization empowering disabled veterans and transitioning service members as well as survivors of the fallen to break through barriers, find their inner purpose and contribute their best to the world. Learn more at nobarrierswarriors.org.

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Broadband By Vince Winkel Longmont Times-Call Staff Writer POSTED: 09/05/2015 05:08:49 AM MDT

Click photo to enlarge

Jeff Kohler with Rise Broadband in Centennial. (Mark Leffingwell / Staff Photographer)

Rise Broadband is the largest fixed wireless Internet provider in the country, serving nearly 200,000 rural and suburban residential and commercial accounts in the Midwest, Rocky Mountain and Southwest regions. Its operations center is in Loveland while its corporate headquarters is in Englewood.

Fixed wireless broadband is a type of high-speed Internet access where connections to service providers use radio signals rather than cables. The service is growing in Colorado and the country for those living in rural areas where services like cable are not available.

We caught up with company co-founder Jeff Kohler at Rise Broadband’s Loveland facility last week.

1. Are the majority of your customers homes or businesses?

We’re 85 percent residential, 15 percent commercial and those go from small businesses to larger enterprises including the work we do for school districts in rural areas.

In rural areas it’s very expensive to build and run fiber out there, to run cable out there, so wireless really is the best and most cost-effective alternative.

We can provide up to a gigabit speed service to a business or a school.

We can relay tower-to-tower up to 20 miles, but for the best service we like to keep it to about four miles. The closer the tower to the customer, the better the speed.

The most unique aspect of our service is that we can build these networks for a tenth of the cost of the wire-line guys. This is why we’re the answer for rural America.

2. Why isn’t everybody doing it this way?

That’s a very good question. You have the two incumbents, the phone companies and the cable companies. They are what they are. They are there, they’re big, they’ve been doing it for a hundred years and they will continue doing it for a hundred years.

When you get out of the city centers, well, we call it a donut strategy. We stay out of the donut hole, so you’re not going to see us in Longmont, not in Ft. Collins, but you’re going to see us on the outside areas. Beyond that the best service out there is this, and then after this it’s satellite.

Our main operation center is here in Loveland. We have 170 employees in this location. This is where our call center is for all of our 16 states. So this is the biggest hub we have in the entire company. We go from Illinois to Nevada, and down to Texas, 16 states.

3. So let’s say I live 10 or 15 miles east of Berthoud, with no other option for the web, how much am I paying for this service?

You are probably paying between $40 to $60 a month, depending on if you want a 10, 15 or 20 megabit plan. If you wanted the home phone service to go with it you pay an extra $20 a month.

Business is great. Everyone’s Internet usage is going up 40 or 50 percent a year, they can’t seem to get enough of it, it’s right up there in the hierarchy of needs with food and water! Everybody needs it, everybody wants it.

In rural areas where there is not a lot of choice, we’re the number one choice. Even in some suburban areas like in Loveland, some people choose us because a lot of people don’t want to do business with the phone company and the cable company.

4. How do you get your new customers?

I would say word of mouth is about 40 percent of it. When we get out to the really rural areas that word of mouth can be 60 percent. It’s also some direct mail. We know where our towers are, and what neighborhoods we can hit. We also do a bit of radio advertising in the rural areas as well.

Nationwide we pick up a few thousand new customers a month. We have almost 200,000 customer accounts right now. We hear from 10,000 people a month who want the service, but we just don’t have towers everywhere yet. When people hear about fixed-wireless service and they don’t have other choices they call us. They’re desperate, but a lot of them we just can’t help.

Last year we were in the Rural Broadband Experiment Program. The FCC sent out maps of unserved areas and said ‘send us your best offer, what will you build a network here for?’ So the most anyone could win was $20 million and we got $16.9 million out of it because we can build networks for a lower cost than the big companies. So we’ll be building 10 new networks in five states with unserved areas. It’s a real FCC mandate right now to see that everyone has access to this.

5. So for someone like me in Longmont, or in Boulder, we have systems in place already. So you would not be an option for me, is that right?

Right, you are in the donut hole. So you would find our towers on the outskirts of town and then moving out from there. That’s our niche.

In general because we focus on providing service to the underserved, we do very well at keeping customers with us because we treat them well.

The towers can be up to 300 or 400 feet. We primarily lease space on existing towers, we aren’t in the construction business. In rural areas its grain elevators, water towers, mountain tops, those high points.

Vince Winkel: 303-684-5291, winkelv@times-call.com or twitter.com/vincewinkel

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Rise Broadband announces that non-profit No Barriers Warriors has selected 11 disabled veterans for a week-long expedition in Colorado’s Collegiate Mountain Range. The week-long Training Program Helps Vets Tackle Personal Challenges and Eliminate Obstacles

Based on nominations from Rise Broadband customers and the general public, 11 male and female veterans across the country will convene in Rise’s home state of Colorado from October 13 – 19, 2015, for an all-expenses-paid mountain training expedition.

The program includes pre-event preparation, a 20-mile wilderness trek, ropes course, strenuous climb and more; all designed to push veterans physically and mentally while providing a training ground for stretching goals, facing adversity and leading / serving others.

“We are very proud to be intimately involved with this outstanding No Barriers program which helps veterans connect with each other, overcome challenges, prepare to become future leaders and re-engage in their communities upon their return”, said Jack Koo, Rise Broadband’s president and chief executive officer.

The Expedition Leaders:

• Charley Mace – Charley has guided on every continent including multiple ascents of Cotopaxi. He is one of America’s most respected and successful Himalayan mountaineers including climbs on Everest, K2, and the first American ascent of Manaslu.
• Josh Jespersen – Josh spent six years in the Navy and deployed to Iraq in 2008 and Afghanistan in 2010 with SEAL Team IV. He was the lead climber for his platoon and worked his way up to a Special Operator 1st Class.
• Margaux Mange – Margaux served as Military Police, was stationed in Germany and deployed to Baghdad, Iraq. Climbing awoke something in her and she has trekked as well as guided around the world; helping change the lives of other veterans.

The Expedition Participants:

“We received a record number of nominations for the Colorado Collegiate Range Veteran Expedition sponsored by Rise Broadband,” said Dave Schurna, Executive Director of No Barriers USA, “and had an extremely difficult time selecting the most deserving candidates. We look forward to a very exciting program with these exceptional individuals.”

Team members now begin a personal training program to get ready for the challenges ahead and will gather in Denver on October 13 to begin their mountain adventure.

About Rise Broadband
Rise Broadband is the nation’s largest fixed wireless Internet provider; serving nearly 200,000 rural and suburban residential and commercial accounts in the Midwest, Rocky Mountain and Southwest regions.

Incorporated in 2005 as JAB Broadband, the company rebranded all operations as Rise Broadband in 2015 – including regional divisions Digis, Prairie-iNet, Skybeam, T6 and Rhino Communications.

Today, Rise Broadband offers affordable high-speed broadband (Internet and phone) services in 16 states; with speeds ranging between 3 Mbps and 1 Gbps.

Rise Broadband is headquartered in metro Denver. For information, visit risebroadband.com.

About No Barriers Warriors
No Barriers Warriors is a non-profit organization empowering disabled veterans and transitioning service members as well as survivors of the fallen to break through barriers, find their inner purpose and contribute their best to the world. Learn more at nobarrierswarriors.org.

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Rise Broadband Concludes Wounded Veterans’ Mountain Expedition
at Family Tree Homeless Shelter

Veterans and Expedition Leaders Join Rise Employees in
Volunteer Day at Denver-area Women and Children’s Facility

DENVER (Business Wire) October 26, 2015 – Rise Broadband, the nation’s largest fixed-wireless Internet service provider, has concluded its wounded veterans’ Colorado Mountain Expedition training program with a volunteer project for Family Tree’s House of Hope homeless shelter. The facility, located in Rise’s home city of Englewood, is the only homeless shelter serving women and children in Arapahoe County (south Denver).

From October 13-19, 2015, 11 wounded veterans participated in a rigorous training program to overcome challenges and expand limits; led by a support system of people who understand and accept what the veterans have been through. The expedition was fully funded by Rise Broadband and conducted by non-profit No Barriers Warriors.

“Since the conclusion of the expedition…I can push myself a lot further than I have ever attempted”, said Phillip Smith of Bryn Mawr, PA. “I really do feel as if no barriers are in my way; there are no more obstacles to utilize as a crutch.”

On the final day of the program, expedition participants and team leaders joined Rise Broadband employees at House of Hope in the south Denver area. This combined Rise team prepared meals, met with residents and performed interior/exterior maintenance as well as other projects.

“We are proud and privileged to have worked side by side with these veterans and expedition leaders in helping the women and children at Family Tree’s House of Hope overcome their own barriers”, said Jack Koo, Rise Broadband’s president and CEO.

About Rise Broadband
Rise Broadband is the nation’s largest fixed wireless Internet service provider; serving nearly 200,000 rural and suburban residential and commercial accounts in the Midwest, Rocky Mountain and Southwest regions.

Incorporated in 2005 as JAB Broadband, the company rebranded all operations as Rise Broadband in 2015 – including regional divisions Digis, Prairie-iNet, Skybeam, T6 and Rhino Communications.

Today, Rise Broadband offers affordable high-speed broadband (Internet and phone) services in 16 states; with speeds ranging between 3 Mbps and 1 Gbps.

Rise Broadband is headquartered in metro Denver. For information, visit risebroadband.com.

About No Barriers Warriors
No Barriers Warriors is a non-profit organization empowering disabled veterans and transitioning service members as well as survivors of the fallen to break through barriers, find their inner purpose and contribute their best to the world. Learn more at nobarrierswarriors.org.

About Family Tree and House of Hope
Family Tree helps people overcome child abuse, domestic violence and homelessness to become safe, strong and self-reliant. Their House of Hope facility assists families in becoming self-sufficient by providing housing, employment, education, job-skills training and childcare. Visit www.familytree.org for more information.

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Rise Broadband Begins LTE Upgrade of Its Fixed Wireless Internet Network

Joplin, MO Area Chosen as First Market in System-Wide Enhancement

DENVER [Business Wire] – November 4, 2015 – Rise Broadband, the nation’s largest fixed-wireless Internet service provider, is utilizing state-of-the-art LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology for its upcoming network upgrade and has selected the Joplin, Missouri area as the company’s first enhanced market.

LTE technology is capable of providing residential Internet speeds of 50+ Megabits per second and commercial speeds of 100+ Megabits per second – with ultimate speeds of 1 gigabyte per second – for Rise’s fixed wireless Internet, digital voice, data and multimedia streaming services.

“LTE technology is the globally-acknowledged gold standard in the wireless industry,” said Jack Koo, Rise Broadband’s president and chief executive officer, “and customers will benefit from significant increases in speed as well as network capacity as we upgrade our markets.”

Usually associated with mobile phone networks, LTE is the latest generation in wireless connectivity. When used in a fixed wireless environment, LTE will initially provide twice the speed and ultimately more than four times the speed of previous operating platforms.

Rise Broadband uses wireless spectrum (airwaves) – not fiber, cable or satellite connections – to connect residential and commercial customers throughout its 16-state rural and suburban coverage area. The term “fixed” means Rise delivers Internet and digital phone service to dedicated, permanent locations such as homes or businesses. Rise does not offer mobile wireless (a.k.a. cell phone) service.

The Joplin-area upgrade is expected to be completed in the next several months. Other markets will then be identified and initiated in the ensuing 24+ months based on high customer demand and/or existing network capacity.

About Rise Broadband
Rise Broadband is the nation’s largest fixed wireless Internet provider; serving nearly 200,000 rural and suburban residential and commercial accounts in the Midwest, Rocky Mountain and Southwest regions.

Incorporated in 2005 as JAB Broadband, the company rebranded all operations as Rise Broadband in 2015 – including regional divisions Digis, Prairie-iNet, Skybeam, T6 and Rhino Communications.

Today, Rise Broadband offers affordable high-speed broadband (Internet and phone) services in 16 states; with speeds ranging between 3 Megabits per second and 1 Gigabit per second.

Rise Broadband is headquartered in metro Denver. For information, visit risebroadband.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
The information in this news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding the company’s business strategy and expectations. Any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” or “continue,” the negative of such terms or other comparable terminology. Actual events or results may differ materially. The company disclaims any obligation to publicly update these statements, or disclose any difference between its actual results and those reflected in these statements. The information constitutes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

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Rise Broadband moving its fixed-wireless to LTE technology.

Rise Broadband, the Douglas County-based Internet provider, said Wednesday that it is upgrading its network to include the faster LTE (short for Long Term Evolution) that will double and quadruple Internet speeds offered to its mostly rural customers.

Customers will be able to get download speeds of 50 to 100 Mbps. Currently, Rise Broadband’s speeds start around 3 Mbps. The company also offers gigabit Internet where available, but only to commercial users.

The company, which changed its name from JAB Broadband last May, is starting with the city of Joplin, Mo. Its other markets in 16 states, which include parts of Colorado, will be completed within 24 months and is based on demand.

Rise offers fixed-wireless Internet, which starts fast Internet at a location that is then beamed wirelessly to nearby buildings and houses. Customers must have a receiver and be within the line of sight of a building or tower beaming Internet. Rise currently uses TDMA technology to get signals to customers who are up to 15 miles away.

Rise’s move to LTE, which is the same technology companies like Verizon and T-Mobile use for 4G service, is only possible because LTE is being adapted for fixed-wireless use, said Jeff Kohler, Rise’s co-founder and chief development officer.

“Manufacturers are now making the equipment for LTE to be used in a fixed wireless environment. For example, ZTE, Huawei and Telrad are the three large equipment manufacturers adapting LTE to the fixed wireless environment,” he said.

The company has no plans to enter the mobile-service phone market. Rise employs 800 people, including 200 in Colorado.

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Rise Broadband, the company formerly known as JAB Broadband that is playing the role of broadband wireless consolidator, said yesterday that it plans to deploy fixed broadband wireless equipment based on LTE, beginning initially in the Joplin, Missouri area.

“What we get is a much higher level of capacity to offer greater speeds and higher usage thresholds,” said Jeff Kohler, Rise Broadband co-founder and chief development officer, in an interview. “And we leverage worldwide research and development that has gone into LTE.”

Until now Rise Broadband, like many other wireless ISPs, has deployed equipment based on TDMA and OFDM technology, Kohler said. In comparison with that equipment, the LTE-based equipment initially will support twice the speed and ultimately more than four times the speed, according to a Rise Broadband press release. The company says the LTE fixed wireless broadband technology will support speeds of up to 50 Mbps residentially and up to 100 Mbps for commercial customers.

Rise Broadband LTE Fixed Wireless Plans
Rise expects to use fixed LTE more broadly moving forward, Kohler said.

The LTE fixed wireless equipment that the company plans to use will support voice as well as data service – and that makes it well suited for use in the deployments that the company will be making that will be funded, in part, through the FCC’s Rural Broadband Experiment program. Rise won $16.9 million to bring broadband and voice to parts of price cap carrier territories lacking Internet access at speeds of 4 Mbps downstream/ 1 Mbps upstream or higher.

Kohler said he anticipates that Rise will use the LTE fixed wireless technology for those deployments. The company has not yet broken ground as it only recently received its first funding tranche, Kohler explained.

Rise Broadband also would appear well positioned to bid to obtain Connect America funding to bring broadband to unserved parts of price cap carrier territories where the incumbent declined the funding. The FCC plans to conduct a reverse auction and to award funding to the service provider that bids to deploy service at the lowest level of support.

Kohler said he expects the auction to occur in late 2016 or early 2017 and that Rise is “looking closely” at the possibility of participating.

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Bernie Arnason – Nov. 16, 2015

In its latest release of funding for rural broadband experiments, the FCC awarded $16 million to four carriers for rural broadband deployments in territories previously served by price cap carriers. The $16 million will bring broadband service to 2,451 census blocks across five states, reports the FCC.

A total of $16,138,691.71 was awarded to Skybeam, LLC; Daktel Communications, LLC; Federated Telephone Cooperative; and Paul Bunyan Rural Telephone Cooperative. These winners were provisionally selected previously, but were required to provide at least one acceptable irrevocable stand-by letter of credit and a bankruptcy code opinion letter from legal counsel. Having met these requirements, the FCC released the funding through the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC).

Skybeam is an affiliate of fixed wireless provider Rise Broadband, who has been quite active in the rural broadband experiment program. Federated and Paul Bunyan are Minnesota based rural telcos, and Daktel is a rural telco based in North Dakota.

Rural Broadband Experiments Funding
The funding is part of the $100 million rural broadband experiments funding program, announced back in 2014. The program aims to fund experiments for providing broadband in rural territories, and results from these experiments will help shape the overall Connect America Fund (CAF) program.

The goal behind this experimental program is to identify efficient methods for delivering broadband and the funding to support it, to rural markets where larger price cap carriers (large tier 1 and 2 telcos) choose not to serve. The CAF is providing funding for rural broadband, but gives price cap carriers the option of rejecting funding for certain rural markets.

There will be a reverse auction to provide funding to other carriers who want to come in and fill the rural broadband void left from these price cap carrier rejection decisions. Rural broadband experiments funding like this awarded $16 million aims to help the FCC better define the rules for awarding future coverage under the CAF plan.

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Rise Broadband Adds Two to Executive Team

Telecom Vets Heimbach and Fosbenner Join as COO and Sr. VP/Accounting

DENVER – November 19, 2015 – Rise Broadband, the country’s largest fixed wireless Internet service provider, has added David Heimbach as Chief Operating Officer and Al Fosbenner as Sr. VP/Finance.

Mr. Heimbach joins Rise after executive operational responsibility with Cincinnati Bell (most recently as Chief Operating Officer) as well as PowerNet Global, Rhythms Netconnections and other organizations. He has accountability for all of the company’s day-to-day operations including marketing, sales, and product management.

Mr. Fosbenner has held senior financial positions for FrontierVision Partners, WINfirst, i1 Network, Liberty Global, United Artists Entertainment, and United Cable Television. He has direct responsibility for all of Rise’s accounting, finance and treasury management. Mr. Fosbenner joined the organization in 2014.

Rise Broadband serves nearly 200,000 rural and suburban residential and commercial accounts in the Midwest, Rocky Mountain and Southwest regions; offering affordable high-speed broadband (Internet and phone) services in 16 states with speeds ranging between 3 Megabits per second and 1 Gigabit per second. Rise Broadband is headquartered in metro Denver. For information, visit risebroadband.com.

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GCG Now Offers Fixed Wireless Internet and Phone

Services in 16 States Through Rise Broadband

Englewood, CO — November 24, 2015 – GCG, an IT consulting firm and technology services distributor focused on the sourcing of cloud and datacenter services, telecommunications and enterprise applications, recently announced an agreement with Rise Broadband, the nation’s leading provider of fixed wireless broadband services. Under the arrangement, GCG is now able to offer Rise’s wireless Internet and digital phone services in the Midwest, Rocky Mountain and Southwestern regions.

“Bringing Rise Broadband into our portfolio makes perfect sense,” said Mike Armstrong, Vice President of Business Development at GCG. “We work with many large oil and gas companies that have difficulties getting the bandwidth in remote locations. Rise Broadband offers a compelling solution for that vertical and many other industries as well.”

Rise Broadband provides high-speed Internet and digital phone service in 16 states. Small businesses can take advantage of 5 Mbps download and 2 Mbps upload speeds with one and two line ActivePhoneTM voice services. For larger businesses and enterprise operations, Rise Broadband provides dedicated broadband internet connections from 5 Mbps to 1 Gbps and Cloud PBX from 5 to 300 seats. Rise Broadband service is often available in areas where Ethernet and fiber coverage do not exist.

“GCG is exactly the type of sales affiliate we seek – as our services and operating philosophy complement GCG’s very well,” said Dave Heimbach, Chief Operating Officer for Rise Broadband. “GCG’s sales agents engage the industries and geographic locations which would benefit from our reliable and affordable broadband service.”

About Global Communications Group
GCG is a leading IT consulting firm and technology services distributor offering design, sourcing, and lifecycle management for your IT infrastructure. GCG offer a network of more than 170 global suppliers specializing in diverse technologies including: internet, network, voice, data center, cloud, enterprise applications, managed services and security. For more information about GCG, visit our website at gcgcom.com, email us at sales@gcgcom.com or call (877) 708-8900 to speak with one of our consultants.

About Rise Broadband
Rise Broadband is the nation’s largest fixed wireless Internet provider; serving nearly 200,000 rural and suburban residential and commercial accounts in the Midwest, Rocky Mountain and Southwest regions.

Incorporated in 2005 as JAB Broadband, the company rebranded all operations as Rise Broadband in 2015 – including regional divisions Digis, Prairie-iNet, Skybeam, T6 and Rhino Communications. Today, Rise Broadband offers affordable high-speed broadband (Internet and phone) services in 16 states; with speeds ranging between 3 Mbps and 1 Gbps. Rise Broadband is headquartered in metro Denver. For information, visit risebroadband.com.

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Access is still tough outside the Front Range

BY NORA CALEY – COLORADO BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Published: 2016.01.12 02:59 AM

The votes are in, and Colorado residents want broadband.

In November, residents in 44 municipalities voted to allow their local governments the ability to offer broadband Internet to residents. The approvals meant cities would be exempt from a 2005 law – Senate Bill 152 – that restricted municipalities from supplying broadband.

Over the past few years, other communities voted similarly. Broadband industry experts say that is a sign that residents, especially small-business owners, are tired of waiting for access to technology in their towns.

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