There are plenty of startups popping up that are aimed at transforming various industries, but there haven't been too many aimed at transforming the Internet itself just yet. Until now.
Starry Internet is a startup company by Chet Kanojia, who also founded Aereo, and its purpose is to handle all aspects of broadband Internet using millimeter wave technology. What this means is that your entire broadband Internet service will be delivered wirelessly.
"It costs the cable guys around $2,500 per home to deal with the construction costs of laying down cable," said Kanojia in an interview with TechCrunch. "And beyond cost, there are regulatory hurdles that slow down the process. We can deliver faster broadband with no regulatory wait time and it will cost us only $25 per home."
Pricing for the service has yet to be revealed, but there will be a number of tiers based on Internet speed, which is up to 1 GB. According to Kanojia, it will be much cheaper than traditional broadband Internet.
As mentioned, the system uses millimeter wave technology, which basically involves Starry Internet dropping a node on the user's rooftop, wirelessly offering Internet access through millimeter waves. Starry Beam, the node, is then able to point the waves in different directions toward Starry Point, a small device connected to the user's home, giving the user a connection. Not everyone has to have Starry Beam in their home, either, as the device has a radius of up to 1.2 miles.
If the user wants a more traditional router, the Starry Station costs $349. While the router is extra, it comes with a 3.6-inch touchscreen that runs Android, which includes software such as Internet Health Score to constantly monitor the connection and speed the user is getting.
The creators of the system think it will offer a number of advantages over other ISPs. First of all, it does away with the cost of Internet infrastructure and laying cable for Internet service. Another advantage, however, has more to do with Kanojia's previous company Aereo, which basically offered a remote antenna that could transmit television signals to devices in the home. That company was sued by broadcasters that were afraid it could completely disrupt the television industry. Basically, Aereo was about offering a wireless solution for an outdated wired solution. Now, Starry is doing the same thing, using Broadband as its weapon of choice.
