Overview
Executive Overview
Towerstream is a leading Fixed Wireless Managed Service Provider (MSP) that delivers high-speed Internet access to business customers in major metropolitan areas across the United States. Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Middletown, Rhode Island, the company was a pioneer in the fixed wireless industry, recognizing early on that the limitations of traditional wired infrastructure would eventually bottleneck business growth.
Today, Towerstream operates an extensive digital microwave network that covers major markets including New York City, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, Seattle, and Miami. Their service portfolio is centered on providing "Business Class" internet, which includes dedicated internet access (DIA), point-to-point wireless links, and temporary bandwidth solutions for events or construction sites.
The company serves a diverse range of industries, from small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) to Fortune 500 companies, financial institutions, and healthcare providers. Their market presence is defined by their ability to provide a viable, high-performance alternative to traditional telecommunications monopolies. By leveraging their own private network, Towerstream eliminates the need for local loop providers, allowing them to maintain strict control over network latency, packet loss, and overall service quality. This independence has made them a preferred choice for organizations requiring mission-critical connectivity and robust disaster recovery solutions.
Company Differentiation
Towerstream distinguishes itself through a "network-first" culture that prioritizes engineering excellence and rapid deployment over traditional bureaucratic telecom models. Unlike incumbent carriers that are often slowed by legacy copper or fiber infrastructure maintenance, Towerstream operates with the agility of a technology company. Their business model is built on the principle of total ownership; they own and operate their entire network end-to-end, removing the "middleman" issues common with resellers.
A core tenet of their company philosophy is the "On-Net" advantage, where they maintain proactive control over the customer experience. Their approach to customer success is defined by a high-touch, localized service model. Because they bypass the local phone and cable monopolies, they can offer a level of transparency and accountability that is rare in the ISP space. Furthermore, the company maintains a strong focus on urban density, positioning themselves as a vital utility for the modern digital economy in major U.S. markets. They view themselves not just as a service provider, but as a critical infrastructure partner that enables business continuity for organizations that cannot afford a single minute of downtime.
Company Demographics
Product Offerings
Towerstream offers several distinct service packages tailored to business needs:
- Dedicated Internet Access (DIA): Their flagship product. Symmetrical speeds ranging from 10Mbps to 10Gbps. This is a private, dedicated pipe with no oversubscription.
- Redundancy/Failover Solutions: Specifically designed as a secondary link. Towerstream provides a diverse path from traditional telcos, ensuring that if the "ground" connection fails, the "air" connection remains.
- Temporary / Short-Term Service: High-speed connections for events, conventions, or temporary job sites, available for durations as short as a few days or months.
- Wholesale / Carrier Services: For other ISPs or data centers looking to extend their reach into buildings where they don't have physical fiber.
- Managed Services: Optional managed router and firewall services for companies that want a "turnkey" internet solution without managing their own edge hardware.
Product Differentiation
The primary technical advantage of Towerstream’s product suite is its Fixed Wireless technology, which delivers fiber-grade speeds without the physical vulnerabilities or installation delays associated with subterranean cabling. By utilizing point-to-point microwave technology, Towerstream can bypass the "last mile" infrastructure of traditional carriers, which is often the source of outages and congestion.
Key product differentiators include:
- **Rapid Installation:** While fiber installs can take months due to construction and permitting, Towerstream can typically deploy symmetrical bandwidth in 3 to 5 business days.
- **Symmetrical Bandwidth:** Unlike many cable providers, Towerstream offers equal upload and download speeds, ranging from 10Mbps to 10Gbps, which is critical for cloud-based enterprises and VoIP services.
- **Redundancy and Diversity:** Their service provides true local loop diversity. Because the signal is delivered over the air, it is immune to "backhoe fade" (accidental cable cuts), making it the gold standard for secondary or failover connections.
- **Guaranteed Reliability:** Their Service Level Agreements (SLAs) guarantee 99.99% uptime, backed by a private, interference-free network that does not rely on the public internet for backhaul.
- **Scalability:** Bandwidth can be scaled up on-demand via software configuration, allowing businesses to grow their capacity without needing new hardware installations.
