Satellite Fast-Internet Offered: WildBlue is Again Available to Homes and Small Businesses in Northeastern Oklahoma.

Mar. 22--WildBlue is again available to homes and small businesses in northeastern Oklahoma.

A new satellite high-speed Internet service is being offered in small cities and rural areas of northeastern Oklahoma, officials said Wednesday.

Ryan Sullivan, owner and general manager of Sully Satellite, a regional provider of satellite telecommunications services to the commercial and residential markets, said WildBlue satellite Internet services is again available to homes and small businesses in northeastern Oklahoma.

After demand exceeded WildBlue's first satellite's capabilities, the company in November suspended new installations until its second satellite was in orbit, officials said.

"This new bird is light years ahead of the old one," said a spokesman for Denver-based WildBlue in a written statement. "It has the bandwidth capabilities to add customers for years."

Sullivan said WildBlue will provide Internet access to areas that cannot be or have not been reached by other Internet providers.

"We are pleased to bring Green Country two-way high-speed Internet access that is always on and available anywhere our community members work or live," Sullivan said. "Our

product is a local service with local installation and marketing."

WildBlue's service will offer access speeds comparable to DSL and cable modem services, officials said. WildBlue's two-way wireless service provides high-speed data in both directions, upstream and downstream. Cus tomers will not need an additional phone or cable line or the expense of a traditional dial-up Internet service provider in order to receive broadband Internet access, Sullivan said.

"In addition to providing high-speed Internet service to homes in rural areas that have not previously had access to them, WildBlue is also an affordable alternative for small to medium sized businesses in town, since the price for service does not change simply because the service is placed in a business," Sullivan said.

Sully Satellite is offering WildBlue's Internet access in three service packages.

The Value Pack costs $49.95 a month for download speeds up to 512 kbps and upload speeds up to 128 kbps. The Select Pack, which costs $69.95 per month, provides download speeds of 1 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 200 kbps. The Pro Pack, sell ing for $79.95 a month, provides download speeds of up to 1.5 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 256 kbps.

All the packages include Internet service provider services such as e-mail and Web space, the WildBlue portal, 24-hour customer care and an equipment warranty.

Sully Satellite offers its equipment package, including satellite dish and modem, for $299. The company for a limited time is waiving its professional installation fee of $179.95 and is providing new subscribers the first month's service free.

Sullivan said installation of WildBlue Internet service takes two to three hours. Normally, from the time an order is placed to installation takes no more than three days, he said.

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D.R. Stewart 581-8451 don.stewart@tulsaworld.com

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