Unlicensed Podcast

On today’s episode of the Unlicensed Podcast, we take a break from the interview format to catch up on the current happenings with the podcast and discuss some recent hot topics of conversation. Topics covered include the podcast format and plans for summer, details around the recent announcement of the NTIA BEAD NOFO and taking a practical look of how this will affect the industry, and we finish with the concept of keeping your eyes on the prize and not getting too caught up in the noise of everything.

On today’s episode of the Unlicensed Podcast, we’re excited to be hosting Johnny Onellion (aka JohnnyO) from Faster Cajun Networks! Johnny has been a WISP operator for a long time across two different WISP’s and has a ton of experience and knowledge to share about the WISP business and dealing with natural disasters. Topics covered include how the WISP industry has evolved over the last 20 years, billing systems and transport, and a deep conversation about dealing with hurricanes and other natural disasters and what to expect and how to prepare.

On today’s episode of the Unlicensed Podcast, we’re excited to be hosting Ken Ruppel from Aviat Networks! Ken has spent his whole career working with backhaul and licensed link radios and he shares with us a ton of experience, guidance and stories that we found both educational and enjoyable. Topics covered include his history, the use of licensed links in the WISP market, what needs to be considered when planning your first link, 6Ghz, how the pandemic affected Aviat, a recent news release about the acquisition of Redline, and we conclude with a variety of weird things seen during troubleshooting.

On today’s episode of the Unlicensed Podcast, we’re excited to be hosting Jeremy Austin from Preseem! Jeremy has a ton of experience in the WISP industry and his current position as Senior Product Manager at Preseem gives him a lot of additional insight into the nitty gritty details. Topics covered include his personal work history, how bandwidth levels continue to grow but aren’t necessarily related to the end user experience, how home routers behind the WISP CPE affect the end user experience, how experience and education go hand in hand as WISPs grow, the competitive landscape for WISPs now and in the future, and finally some details about how Preseem works with the industry to better achieve success for everyone involved. Learn more about Jeremy and Preseem at https://preseem.com/

On today’s episode of the Unlicensed Podcast, we’re excited to be hosting Chris Johnson from SkyNet Communications! Chris has a long history in the WISP industry and shares with us a wealth of knowledge. Topics covered include dealing with the harsh environmental issues faced in Montana, how the 60Ghz product market has grown and evolved over the years, a deep conversation about building networks using new technologies and what it means from a financial perspective, a discussion on network and customer management, and many other interesting subjects. Finally we wrap up with a discussion about the areas he would focus on if he were starting anew and the advice he gives to new WISPs.

You can find out more about SkyNet Communications on their website: www.getskynet.com

On today’s episode of the Unlicensed Podcast, we’re excited to be hosting Joshaven Potter! Joshaven has a long history in the WISP industry as a consultant and now as CPO & Director of Information Technology at Visp.net. We cover a number of topics including his early history in the industry, the trials and tribulations of making a living as an entrepreneur, how Visp.net operates as a business with billing systems and beyond, and a deep dive into tower and CPE grounding and all that can go into it.

On today’s episode of the Unlicensed Podcast, we’re excited to be hosting a WISP manufacturer! Joining us today is Sakid Ahmed from Cambium Networks. Sakid brings to our conversation a wealth of knowledge and experience from his long history in our industry. We cover a number of interesting topics such as the effects of the pandemic on the state of the wireless industry, how the ePMP AX platform is coming along and what the future holds, updates on the move into 6Ghz, growth of our industry across the globe, and what other tools Cambium brings to the table beyond the radio.

On today’s episode of the #UnlicensedPodcast, we’re excited to be hosting another WISP! Joining us today is Brandon Hardy from Cobalt Ridge based in Wichita Falls, Texas. Brandon shares with us his story of starting a WISP with limited knowledge and funding, the trials and tribulations faced, the successes, and what it is leading to in the future. We discuss a wide range of topics related to starting a WISP including equipment used, plans sold, how to scale operations, increasing throughput to realistically meet customer needs, and a crazy story about how his main tower was destroyed by vandals that you don’t want to miss!

On today’s episode of the Unlicensed Podcast, we wrap up 2021 by reviewing what we have been up to this year and what we’re looking forward to in 2022. Topics covered include our staff additions over the past year, new product launches and updates, trade shows and meetups, WISP’s working together, sales growth globally, and the work we have done with our educational efforts including Inside Wireless, this podcast, and WISP Traveler.

On today’s episode of the Unlicensed Podcast, we’re excited to be hosting our first WISP manufacturer guest! Joining us today is Dustin Stock from Mimosa Networks. Dustin has been in the industry a long time, so we thought it would be fun to get his viewpoints on the current state of the WISP industry as well as his thoughts on where things are headed in the future. During our conversation we cover how COVID has affected the hardware industry supply chains and our companies in general, how Mimosa’s AX product line is progressing, and look forward to the effects on the industry of AX and 6Ghz as they are adopted.