4SIWI Provides Wireless Service to Southern Illinois
Aaron Facemire and Roxana Ryan
Published: July 18, 2012
Related to: Southern eTeam
“We started at my Uncle’s kitchen table,” said Ceci Perry Uban of For Southern Illinois Wireless Internet’s (4SIWI) humble beginnings.
4SIWI started out as a plan to build out a fiber ring in Marion, Ill., with fiber to business connections, but grew when the company purchased the existing customer base of a wireless network of sixteen towers.
Uban and her family saw a need in Southern Illinois for a reliable high-speed internet service and decided to expand. In the first year alone, 4SIWI put up six tower sites.
“Some phone lines are just not capable of running DSL in Southern Illinois, so another feasible option is wireless," she said.
Now with more than 450 customers, 4SIWI provides not only wireless, but also fiber to the business, DSL, and Voice-over IP services as well.
The company offers two free visits a year to customers for computer troubleshooting and maintenance.
"We are a name Southern Illinoisans know and trust. We are able to work on customer's computer issues at a one-on-one basis,” said Ms. Uban.
4SIWI is currently upgrading and maintaining it's available service with future plans to expand.
"Unfortunately in the current economic climate it is not easy for a small Internet provider to obtain funds," said Uban. "We see the need for further broadband expansion, but it's difficult for a small wireless provider like us to deploy such projects.
To see some of 4SIWI’s installations and successes, visit their Youtube page.
Click here to see 4SIWI's coverage map, contact information, and more.