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WISP to FISP Backed By Legacy Partner
WISP to FISP backed by legacy partner
Before FTTX became the gold standard for closing the digital divide, Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) took the first steps to bring broadband to their local rural communities. These WISP trail blazers are now facing increased competitive threats from large fiber networks and electric co-ops using federal broadband funding to expand inside WISP territory. Edge Broadband’s story showcases how a WISP-to-FISP transformation backed by Millennium’s full suite of broadband solutions can position networks to compete against larger regional and national fiber rivals.
A Backyard WISP Network Goes Viral: Meet Edge Broadband
Living with slow, subpar internet was not what Brian Madl, owner and president of Edge Broadband, was willing to do when he and his wife moved to a rural fixer-upper off Whitewater Lake in southern Wisconsin. Instead, he built his own personal wireless network in his backyard on a 60-foot pine tree. His initiative was driven by a need for reliable, high-speed internet for work and play, backed by high school I.T. coursework and military experience in satellite communications. Madl’s personal backyard network would grow from word-of-mouth into Edge Broadband, a preferred Internet Service Provider (ISP) in rural Walworth County, Wisconsin.
Connecting Rural Communities
Prior to Edge Broadband, many residents of rural Walworth and Jefferson counties were underserved and overpaying. Edge Broadband experienced rapid growth after Madl connected two neighbors to his backyard network, and word-of-mouth spread throughout the community. Equipped with a huge list of potential customers from organic demand, Madl decided to go all in on building a WISP network. He got permission from a nearby farmer to expand the wireless connection from his pine tree to the farmer’s grain silo and then into the city of Whitewater, and Edge Broadband was born in 2012. Wireless immediately improved internet service for subscribers, but long term, for better symmetrical speeds and resilience against outages, Edge Broadband would build FTTx.
Edge Broadband’s first wireless buildout was Whitewater Lake. Leveraging his local relationships to build multiple towers, he saturated the area with wireless. Next, Madl connected 500 homes and businesses in the city of Whitewater and then expanded outward into neighboring counties to the north. Edge Broadband initially passed by Lauderdale Lakes because the terrain of trees and hills made wireless impossible, and instead built out around the outskirts beyond the lake in all directions. In 2016, Edge Broadband revisited the idea of serving Lauderdale Lakes after receiving repeated requests to do so. Madl planned out different wireless setups, but wireless wouldn’t work – fiber was the answer.
Connecting with a Full-Service Partner
After choosing FTTx over wireless to reach further distances and improve service speeds, Madl headed to WISPAPALOOZA, the flagship annual conference put on by the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA), to figure out fiber. There, he met Millennium and struck up a conversation with Joe Valen, Director of Equipment at Millennium. Valen consulted with Madl on a fiber network design plan for a good portion of Lauderdale Lakes. Valen also showed him different fiber product solutions and how they worked. Since Millennium offered comprehensive fiber solutions, Edge Broadband could access full project lifecycle support, from design, funding, and materials to equipment, all in one place. With Millennium’s expertise and support, Edge Broadband broke ground on its first fiber project in 2017.
Customers They Serve
Almost exclusively rural areas and townships in Walworth County and surrounding areas, including Whitewater, Lauderdale Lakes, and parts of Fort Atkinson and East Troy. They have connected small businesses, farms, and homes. 90% of their business is residential.
Partnerships Make Powerhouses
After the Lauderdale Lakes project, Edge Broadband decided to go FISP. Geographically, FTTx made sense for the network. At various times during his network expansion, Madl has tapped Millennium’s expertise and resources in broadband funding, design, materials, and equipment to accelerate his FTTx projects. The partnership has been going strong for over seven years.
In 2018, Madl worked with Millennium Engineering to design a large fiber network project using cutting-edge Esri GIS tools.
“I’ve always been a DIYer in network design, but our Jefferson County build was such a large build that I wanted to accelerate the process by getting a good grasp on where to start. Millennium’s engineers had the latest GIS tools to provide me with a low-level design.” – Brian Madl, President at Edge Broadband
When a national ISP noticed Edge Broadband’s growth, they offered to purchase the network. After refusing a buyout offer, Edge Broadband had to double down on expansion to compete successfully against this national contender. Up until then, Madl had sustainably self-funded his network, but now he needed upfront funding to expand aggressively. He tapped into the Millennium Infrastructure Fund to get a construction loan to scale his fiber network quickly.
“Facing incoming competition from a large national ISP, I needed to build fast. I had the supplies and equipment I needed, but the cost was a hurdle. The Millennium Infrastructure Fund gave me a construction loan fast, allowing me to lock in a contractor and build quickly, giving me a competitive advantage.” – Brian Madl, President at Edge Broadband
Experiencing a faster approval process than a bank, Edge Broadband used the Millennium Infrastructure Fund again in 2023 to build out Jefferson, WI, ahead of future BEAD competition.
Working with Millennium, Edge Broadband sources from the industry’s top inventory from 250+ vendors and can access customized solutions from project coordination to materials management that reduce costs.
“Consider the total lifecycle cost of a project when you choose your materials. They usually cost no more than 15% of your project, so you need to look closely at your install methods to find true savings. Millennium can match you with the right materials for your project to save you money in the long run.” – Brian Madl, President at Edge Broadband
Edge Broadband also stays flexible and avoids setbacks from equipment failures by using Millennium Equipment.
“Breakdowns are going to happen because we’re blowing fiber every day, but we can’t afford the downtime; it’s too expensive. I can call Millennium Equipment, get a short-term rental or a lease, and get back to work right away. I can even try new equipment before I commit to a purchase.” – Brian Madl, President at Edge Broadband
Future-Proofing With Fiber & Millennium
Faced with increased competition, Edge Broadband is carefully planning its growth strategy. The network can either expand further into rural Wisconsin, knowing they will soon be competing against other rural fiber builds, or they can build within city limits and compete against ISPs that don’t provide high-speed fiber. Madl knows from first-hand experience that whoever brings fiber into an area first has a huge advantage in winning over customer loyalty, even against larger fiber networks. By continuing to partner with Millennium, whichever move Edge Broadband makes, they’ll have access to comprehensive fiber solutions.
Future-Focused Network Owners from
Coast to Coast Look to Millennium For:
- Feasibility Studies & Network Design Plans
- Financing & Grants
- Project Resource Management
- Material Supply & Logistical Planning
- Equipment Leasing & Rentals
