City Internet service has new owner

GLADSTONE - The city of Gladstone recently sold its fixed wireless internet system to U.P. Logon and Computer Connections U.P. of Iron Mountain.

In July the city decided to discontinue offering wireless broadband internet service to residents due to high costs and low revenues.

Gladstone Electrical Superintendent Tom White said the profit margin was too tight to stay in the business and the service can be offered more cheaply by U.P. Logon.

"The biggest problem that we had is that the competition out there is too much. We didn't have enough customers to make cash flow," said White.

U.P. Logon owner Dean Carrollo said the arrangement was good for both parties.

"We worked it out so that it benefitted the city and the residents of Gladstone and the Stonington Peninsula still have high speed Internet," said Carrollo. "People like to have Internet at their cottages and condos and people didn't want it to go away so we figured we would take it over and provide them service."

White said although no money changed hands, it was still a good deal for Gladstone.

"Basically we let them take the system over. When you're losing money every month it's better to get out while you can," he said.

Nearly 100 customers, mostly from outside the city limits of Gladstone, were handed over to U.P. Logon.

As a growing company, Carrollo said U.P. Logon and Computer Connections U.P. have been offering service in Iron Mountain since 1995. They now offer service in most of the central Upper Peninsula including Iron Mountain, Crystal Falls, Alpha, Bates, Iron River and Ski Brule, Norway, Niagara, Powers, Hermansville, Carney, Harris, Escanaba, and around Delta County to Gladstone, Stonington Peninsula, Manistique, and several locations in Marquette.

The internet company offers DSL, and for those that are unable to get DSL due to location they offer fixed wireless or WildBlue satellite connection. For more information go to uplogon.com or call 1-888-UP-LOGON (1-888-875-6466.)

Fixed 'wireless' Internet is not the kind that immediately comes to mind for most people. Wireless for many means their house is wired for Internet and you can plug a wireless card into your laptop and access the internet without physically plugging the computer into the wall. Fixed wireless internet means your house is wirelessly connected to the antennae on the bluff and from there fiber optics connect them to the internet. Computers in wirelessly connected houses in Gladstone still have to be physically plugged in to the wall, unless you purchase a wireless router.

---

Audrey LaFave, (906) 786-2021, ext. 145, alafave@dailypress.net