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Metro Wireless: High-Speed Fixed Wireless & Fiber Solutions

Metro Wireless provides high-speed dedicated internet, SD-WAN, and private networking solutions for businesses nationwide using fixed wireless and fiber tech.

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Overview

Metro Wireless is a premium Internet Service Provider (ISP) and telecommunications technology firm headquartered in Eastpointe, Michigan, providing nationwide connectivity solutions. The company specializes in delivering high-speed, enterprise-grade internet services, including Fixed Wireless, Fiber Optics, SD-WAN, and Managed Network Services. Founded to address the gaps in reliability and service quality left by traditional national carriers, Metro Wireless has established a significant market presence as a leading provider of "last-mile" connectivity and business continuity solutions.

The company serves a diverse range of industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, retail, professional services, and government agencies. Their core business focus revolves around providing mission-critical internet access that ensures business operations remain uninterrupted. Metro Wireless is particularly well-known for its ability to solve complex connectivity challenges in underserved areas or for organizations requiring rapid deployment and high-availability network architectures.

Over its history, Metro Wireless has expanded from a regional specialist into a national player, leveraging a vast network of partner infrastructure and proprietary wireless technology. Their service portfolio is comprehensive, covering everything from primary dedicated internet access (DIA) to sophisticated multi-site private networking and failover solutions. By combining the speed of wireless technology with the stability of fiber, Metro Wireless positions itself as a single-source provider for modern corporate networking needs.

Positioning

Metro Wireless positions itself as the "agile alternative" to the traditional telecommunications giants. Their market strategy is built on the premise that businesses shouldn't have to choose between high-speed performance and exceptional customer service. In a market dominated by rigid, slow-moving incumbents, Metro Wireless emphasizes speed—both in terms of network throughput and time-to-install.

Their brand positioning focuses on three core pillars: Reliability, Speed, and Simplicity. They target the mid-market and enterprise segments, specifically those organizations where even an hour of downtime results in significant financial loss. In their messaging, they differentiate from competitors by highlighting the "Fiber-Bypass" nature of their fixed wireless technology, positioning it as the only true way to achieve 100% network diversity.

While competitors often focus solely on price or localized coverage, Metro Wireless positions itself as a strategic technology partner capable of managing a global network footprint. They leverage their status as a specialized provider to offer more granular control and better engineering support than "Big Telecom," while offering more robust infrastructure and nationwide reach than smaller local ISPs. This "Goldilocks" positioning—large enough to scale, small enough to care—is central to their competitive advantage.

Differentiation

The flagship differentiator for Metro Wireless is its sophisticated Fixed Wireless Internet delivery system, which offers a true "local loop" bypass. This allows businesses to achieve complete path redundancy, ensuring that a physical fiber cut in the street does not take the business offline—a critical requirement for modern cloud-dependent enterprises. Their fixed wireless solutions are not to be confused with consumer-grade satellite or cellular; they provide symmetrical gigabit speeds with low latency and 99.99% uptime SLAs that rival traditional fiber.

Beyond wireless, Metro Wireless has built a robust SD-WAN and Managed Network Services portfolio. Their product suite is designed for rapid deployment, often installing primary or backup connections in days rather than the months typically required for fiber construction. Key technical advantages include:

  • Symmetrical Speeds: Unlike many wireless providers, Metro offers equal upload and download capacities.
  • Rapid Deployment: Ability to provide temporary or permanent "Instant On" connectivity for construction sites, events, or new office openings.
  • Carrier-Neutral Approach: Their ability to aggregate and manage multiple types of connectivity (Fiber, Fixed Wireless, LTE/5G) into a single, cohesive managed network.
  • Layer 2 Private Cloud Connect: Direct, secure links to major cloud providers (AWS, Azure, Google) that bypass the public internet for enhanced security and performance.

Ideal Customer Profile

The ideal customer for Metro Wireless is a mid-market to enterprise organization (50–5,000 employees) that views internet connectivity as a mission-critical utility. They typically operate in industries like construction, healthcare, finance, or logistics. This customer likely has an existing fiber connection but recognizes the 'single point of failure' risk of having all utilities enter the building through the same underground conduit. They value speed of deployment and high-touch support over the rock-bottom pricing of consumer-grade cable providers. Geographically, they are located in urban or suburban areas with access to Metro Wireless's broadcast footprint.

Best Fit

  1. Mission-Critical Redundancy: Companies that cannot afford a single minute of downtime and need a physically diverse backup to traditional fiber.
  2. Rapid Deployment Scenarios: Construction sites, temporary events, or new office openings where waiting 60-90 days for a fiber build-out is not an option.
  3. Challenging Geographies: Locations where trenching fiber is cost-prohibitive or physically impossible, but line-of-sight is available.
  4. Bandwidth-Intensive Branch Offices: Mid-sized offices requiring symmetrical speeds (up to 10Gbps) without the enterprise price tag of Tier 1 national carriers.

Offerings

  1. Fixed Wireless (Air Fiber): The flagship product offering symmetrical, dedicated internet via microwave/millimeter-wave. Best for primary or redundant office connectivity.
  2. Managed LTE/5G: Cellular-based connectivity with managed hardware. Best for small offices, retail, or temporary 'pop-up' locations.
  3. Temporary/Event Connectivity: Short-term, high-bandwidth deployments. Best for festivals, conferences, or construction projects.
  4. Private Point-to-Point: Wireless bridges connecting two specific sites (e.g., Building A to Building B) without an ISP middleman. Best for campus environments.
  5. Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP): In select markets, Metro Wireless also provides traditional terrestrial fiber for customers who prefer a single vendor for all connectivity types.

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Buying Guide: Metro Wireless

Everything you need to evaluate Metro Wireless— from features and pricing to implementation and security.

Introduction

Welcome to the comprehensive evaluation guide for Metro Wireless. As businesses increasingly rely on cloud-based applications and real-time data processing, the traditional reliance on a single terrestrial fiber connection has become a significant risk factor. Metro Wireless specializes in providing high-bandwidth, fixed wireless, and telecommunications solutions designed to bridge the gap between traditional fiber limitations and the need for high-speed, reliable connectivity.

This guide is designed for IT Directors, CTOs, and Network Architects who are evaluating Metro Wireless as a primary internet provider or a secondary redundancy partner. You will learn about their unique fixed wireless infrastructure, their rapid deployment capabilities, and how their "air-fiber" technology compares to traditional telco offerings. By the end of this guide, you will have the necessary criteria to determine if Metro Wireless fits your organization's uptime requirements and geographic footprint.

Key Features

  • Fixed Wireless Internet: Delivers symmetrical speeds from 10Mbps to 10Gbps using microwave and millimeter-wave technology, bypassing the local telephone/cable company infrastructure.
  • Temporary & Event WiFi: Rapid-response kits for short-term high-density connectivity at festivals, construction sites, or corporate retreats.
  • 4G LTE/5G Failover: Managed "Plug-and-Play" cellular backup solutions for smaller branch offices or retail locations.
  • Dedicated Internet Access (DIA): Unlike "best-effort" cable, Metro Wireless provides dedicated bandwidth with a 1:1 contention ratio.
  • Low Latency Architecture: Optimized routing paths that often result in lower latency than copper-based circuits and parity with fiber.
  • Rapid Installation: Standard deployments often occur within 14 days, compared to months for traditional fiber builds.
  • 99.99% Uptime SLA: Enterprise-grade service level agreements covering packet loss, latency, and availability.

Use Cases

  1. The 'Fiber Cut' Insurance: A financial services firm uses Metro Wireless as a secondary circuit. When a construction crew accidentally severed the primary fiber line, the firm's BGP routing automatically shifted traffic to the wireless link, resulting in zero dropped calls or lost trades.
  2. Construction Site HQ: A large developer needed 500Mbps symmetrical for 20 trailers at a new site. While the local telco quoted 6 months for a build-out, Metro Wireless had the site live in 10 business days.
  3. Retail Continuity: A national retail chain uses Metro Wireless 5G managed failover to ensure credit card processing and inventory management stay online during local ISP outages.
  4. Hospitality Guest WiFi: A hotel in a historic district where trenching fiber was prohibited used Metro Wireless to provide high-speed backbone connectivity for their guest WiFi network.

Pricing Models

  • Tiered Bandwidth: Pricing is primarily driven by the committed information rate (CIR), such as 100/100 Mbps or 1/1 Gbps.
  • Contract Term: Typical enterprise contracts run 12, 24, or 36 months, with significant discounts for longer commitments.
  • Installation Fees: A one-time NRC (Non-Recurring Cost) covers the site survey, mounting hardware, and technician labor.
  • Managed vs. Unmanaged: Options to include a managed router/firewall for an additional monthly fee.
  • Data Caps: Fixed wireless plans typically feature unlimited data, whereas 4G/5G failover plans may be usage-based or "pooled" across multiple sites.

Technical Requirements

  • Line of Sight (LOS): A clear visual path between the customer's roof and a Metro Wireless base station (PoP).
  • Power: Standard 110v AC power for the indoor power-over-ethernet (PoE) injector.
  • Cabling: Existing or new conduit from the rooftop to the server room for CAT6 or Fiber.
  • Rack Space: 1U of rack space for the hand-off router or PoE injector.
  • Mounting Surface: Access to a parapet wall, non-penetrating roof mount (ballast mount), or existing mast.

Business Requirements

  1. Site Access: For Fixed Wireless, you must have legal right-of-entry (ROE) to the roof of your facility and permission to run cabling from the roof to your server room.
  2. Internal Networking Knowledge: Your IT team should understand basic BGP (if multihoming) or SD-WAN configuration to effectively manage failover between Metro Wireless and your primary ISP.
  3. Change Management: Organizations must update their disaster recovery playbooks to include wireless failover protocols.
  4. Stakeholder Buy-in: Facilities management must be involved early to coordinate rooftop access and power requirements for the wireless receiver.

Implementation Timeline

  1. Discovery & Site Survey (Week 1): Desk-based qualification followed by an on-site technician visit to confirm line-of-sight (LOS) and signal strength.
  2. Contracting & Permitting (Week 1-2): Finalizing the Service Level Agreement (SLA) and obtaining any necessary building management approvals.
  3. Hardware Staging (Week 2): Configuration of the wireless bridge or LTE/5G equipment at the Metro Wireless NOC.
  4. Installation & Cabling (Week 3): Mounting the antenna, running CAT6 or Fiber to the MDF, and installing the indoor unit (IDU).
  5. Testing & Go-Live (Week 3-4): Speed tests, latency benchmarking, and failover validation. Note: Timeline is significantly faster than the 90-120 days typical for fiber construction.

Support Options

  • 24/7/365 NOC: US-based technical support available via phone and email for all enterprise customers.
  • Proactive Monitoring: Metro Wireless monitors the radio link and will often alert the customer to an outage before they realize it.
  • On-Site Support: Field technicians available for hardware replacement or realignment if weather or physical obstructions impact the signal.
  • Customer Portal: Access to real-time bandwidth utilization graphs and ticketing systems.
  • Dedicated Account Management: Enterprise-tier customers receive a dedicated point of contact for billing and scaling needs.

Integration Requirements

Metro Wireless services are "carrier-neutral" in their delivery, meaning they hand off via standard Ethernet (RJ45 or SFP).

  • SD-WAN Ready: Seamlessly integrates as a primary or secondary transport link in Velocloud, Versa, or Silver Peak environments.
  • IP Addressing: Supports static IPv4 and IPv6 assignments; supports BGP peering for customers with their own IP space.
  • Layer 2 Transparency: Options for private lines (VPLS/ELAN) to connect multiple local offices without traversing the public internet.
  • Hardware Agnostic: Compatible with any enterprise firewall or router (Cisco, Fortinet, Palo Alto, etc.).

Security & Compliance

  • Physical Security: Wireless signals are encrypted at the radio layer using AES-256 to prevent interception.
  • Network Isolation: Support for private VLANs and dedicated point-to-point links that never touch the public internet.
  • Compliance Alignment: Solutions can be configured to meet HIPAA and PCI-DSS requirements for data in transit.
  • DDoS Protection: Optional cloud-based scrubbing services to protect the link from volumetric attacks.
  • Monitoring: 24/7 Network Operations Center (NOC) monitoring for proactive threat detection and link health.

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