nice article here, i will post it all too in case it not archived. I have several Look wireless isp's.
Very satisfied here.
THis is my speed just now
Your line speed:
1275 Kbps
156.3 K bytes/sec
computingcentral.msn.com
My best if it is true gainers.homestead.com
D/L speed with accelerator
webhome.idirect.com
Look Communications Set To Take On Boomtown
Ottawa Citizen - 11/3/00 8:02:42 AM
Vito Pilieci
The Ottawa Citizen
An Ottawa digital media company offering an alternative to those looking for a change from packages offered by the cable company.
LOOK Communications Inc., offering service in Ottawa for over a year now, is finally ready to force its way into Boomtown's spotlight. The company offers digital cable TV as well as high-speed cable Internet and said while it has taken time to get ready, LOOK wanted to make sure it was prepared for the influx of customers it expects to attract.
"We've been trying to manage the growth we have had to date and now we are ready for more," said Gary Kawaguchi, senior vice-president of sales and marketing for LOOK Communications Inc.
Announcing yesterday its service had grown by more than 25 per cent over the last three months, LOOK's president was more than optimistic about the possibility of future growth.
"Once again we have recorded record double-digit ... subscriber growth in both our Internet and digital television business," said David Parkes, president and CEO of LOOK Communications Inc. "We are especially pleased with our subscriber growth rate in the area of high-speed (Internet) access."
Look's services are available to more than six million Canadians throughout Ontario and Quebec. The company's Internet and TV service is funneled through what they call a multipoint distribution system, which is made up of a number of transmission towers. Each of the towers allows video, audio and data signals either to be passed on to another area, or directed to a user's home through a small antenna placed on the customer's rooftop.
Because the services are wireless they can be provided more cheaply than traditional cable, meaning customers get the same or better service than they were receiving at a much lower monthly cost, seeing as LOOK's basic package costs $19.99 a month for the same channels included in a cable provider's basic offering.
But, with LOOK's basic package the company also gives its users 30 stations of digital, commercial- and DJ-free music, ranging in tastes from Classical and 70's rock all the way to modern dance music.
"You pick the genre whether its jazz, rock or symphonic. What a lot of people actually do is hook that up to their sound system because the music quality is that good," Mr. Kawaguchi said.
LOOK said the biggest benefit it offers users is the ability to order pay per view with the touch of a button and with a quick phone call, gain instant access to extra specialty channels.
"If you want it from your cable provider (pay per view) you would have to rent a separate box from the cable provider ... With us you don't have to rent a digital box because we are a digital box," Mr. Kawaguchi said while referring to the set top box that LOOK offers to each of its subscribers.
As opposed to traditional cable TV carriers, LOOK allows users to choose 10 additional channels at a cost of $9.00 per month. This gives many people, who are frustrated with their cable service, just the choice they are looking for.
"We start off by saying you can make your own package," Mr. Kawaguchi said. "You pick and choose what's in the 10 so you have that degree of control."
The other dimension to Look's service is its Internet division, which provides high speed cable connections to any user within the company's broadcasting range.
"We know the Internet world and today we have the most flexible packaging. We call it, make the Internet yours," Mr. Kawaguchi said.
With packages ranging in price from $6.95 all the way up to $29.95 a month (with the TV service) users can enjoy wireless Internet access from their homes.
"High speed Internet service is as fast as cable coming into your home ... but it requires a telephone link on the return path, for most people that's all they need because they just want a fast download," Mr. Kawaguchi said.
Look said for those users who really demand speed from an Internet connection the company is coming out with their two way wireless high speed service in the near future.
"When we get into our two way wireless product it is going to be 3 meg downstream ... which is more than competitive with anything a small to medium sized business would go and get," Mr. Kawaguchi said.
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