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9719 Valley View Road, Eden Prairie, MN 55344

Tel: 952.548.8880

Frequently Asked Questions

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• What is Fixed Wireless Broadband Internet Access?
  "Fixed Wireless" simply refers to wireless communication between fixed locations. "Broadband" is a term defined by the FCC as providing Internet Bandwidth access in excess of 200 Kbps download and upload.

• I’ve heard that wireless technology is not reliable because it is so new. What is the truth?
  It is interesting that most of what you here about the reliability and “newness” of wireless technology comes from the very sources that helped develop and deploy this technology over the past 60 years. The truth is, prior to the introduction of Fiber channel, all telecommunication companies, that maintained nationwide networks, deployed wireless technology. Moving to fiber was more about capacity and cost than about reliability. And, many major Telecommunication companies still utilize wireless architectures within their networks. It has only been the last few years that the cost of wireless technology has became affordable enough to deploy on a widespread basis.

• Doesn’t the weather impact reliability?
  Weather conditions have no practical effect on the wireless link. The attenuation of the radio signal due to rain or snow is insignificant. Much of the reliability “scuttle” again comes from generalizing ALL wireless technologies into one group. Older “wireless” microwave radios did suffer from extreme signal fade because of weather conditions. The technology deployed by StoneBridge does not have these characteristics.

• Is Wireless Broadband Internet Access secure? Isn’t this just like Wi-Fi?
  The StoneBridge wireless network is very robust and secure. Because the network does not strictly adhere to the IEEE 802.11b (Wi-Fi) standard, there are a number of inherent security features built in. The first is AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) data encryption, the highest level of security available and approved by the federal government. A second method deployed within the StoneBridge network is FHSS (frequency hopping spread spectrum). FHSS utilizes a greater number of frequencies (79) and “hops” between a predetermined and controllable sequence of frequencies, whereas, in a true Wi-Fi deployment the channel is defined (1 of 14) and operates in a fixed frequency making it much easier to “tune in” the signal. To “tune in” a FHSS signal would require knowing the number of frequencies, the actual frequencies and the hopping sequence.

• How does wireless compare to DSL and cable?
  Wireless technology can provide greater bandwidths (much faster), better availability in rural areas and can provide large savings for customers who require high speeds in the T1 and greater bandwidths. DSL has distance and speed limitations based on the location of the telephone companies CO (Central Office) and is not currently available in many of the rural areas. Cable systems are also not as widely available and may become congested with users sharing the same cable all vying for bandwidth. StoneBridge bandwidths speeds are also symmetrical, i.e. download and upload speeds are equivalent. Another benefit of a wireless connection is management. The StoneBridge network allows for scalability; as your bandwidth needs grow, an upgrade to higher capacity is a simple phone call to StoneBridge.

• What about line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight? Don’t buildings and obstructions cause problems?
  StoneBridge utilizes both LOS (line-of-sight) and NLOS (near or non-line-of-sight) technologies within our network. Line of sight applications require that the subscriber’s antenna be able to “see” the tower antenna. StoneBridge has deployed nearly 45 towers in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area as well as in Western Wisconsin to enhance our coverage area. Many of the StoneBridge towers employ OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) technology. There are several advantages to OFDM, one of which being, the ability to operate in a NLOS manner. In the event a building or other obstruction is blocking a direct signal to the tower, OFDM allows the signal to “bounce” off other buildings or obstructions to reach the antenna.· How close to a tower do I need to be? Distance varies depending on the tower and equipment deployed. In most cases StoneBridge assumes a 10 mile line-of-sight limit, although, it is possible to extend the distance through relays. We currently have customers operating at distances slightly over 10 miles.

• Why does StoneBridge have so many towers and relay points?
  StoneBridge places its towers and relays for optimum coverage. Simply stated, in order to ensure maximum coverage in a given area, overlap is often required. Even though a tower can transmit and receive at distances of 10 miles there are many obstructions that may result in a non-serviceable location. Hills, trees, valleys, buildings, etc., can all cause issues. With overlap, StoneBridge has created a network of locations allowing more access and availability for broadband services. Even with our deployed OFDM towers, coverage is not absolute.

• How big are the antennas and what do they look like? 
  Our current antennas range in size from a 2" x 3" indoor antenna to an 11" x 11" x 1" flat panel directional antenna. These antennas are very lightweight and are no more difficult to install than a satellite TV dish. The cables used to connect the antenna to the subscriber unit are 1/4" and 3/8" in diameter, with the connectors being slightly larger.

• Will this signal interfere or be interfered with by any other wireless systems? 
  Most references to interference issues are the result of poor network deployment, improper placement of antennas, and frequency channel selection. The subscriber units put out a very low power signal and as such are not likely to interfere with other devices. Wireless system providers are also required by the FCC not to cause interference with other wireless providers.

• How do I find out if I can receive StoneBridge Broadband Service? 
  Call Us! We would be happy to verify our coverage capability of your address.

Minnesota Wireless Broadband, Albertville, Andover, Anoka, Apple Valley, Arden Hills, Big Lake, Blaine, Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Buffalo, Burnsville, Champlin, Coon Rapids, Corcoran, Dayton, Eagan, Eden Prairie, Elk River, Forest Lake, Golden Valley, Greenfield, Ham Lake, Hamel, Hanover, Hassen, Hopkins, Hugo, Independence, Lakeville, Lino Lakes, Loretto, Maple Grove, Maple Plain, Medina, Minneapolis, Minnetonka, Monticello, Orono, Osseo, Otsego, Plymouth, Ramsey, Red Wing, Rogers, Rosemount, Savage, Shakopee, St. Louis Park, St.Michael, St.Paul, Wayzata, White Bear Lake. Map
Wisconsin Wireless Broadband, Hudson, River Falls. Map