World on Wireless has cleared one of the last hurdles it needs to provide high-speed connectivity between its customers and their Internet Service Providers (ISPs). The Telecommunications Commission has approved the company's application for a licence and has now forwarded its recommendation to the minister.

Provided Telecommunications Minister Michael Scott signs off on WOW's application, company director Gavin Wilson says WOW will likely be able to offer customers a high speed wireless line for their Internet service in about six months.

Currently only BTC and North Rock Communications act as common carriers for Internet service although CableVision was granted a common carrier licence earlier this year. (see story below)

Once his company enters the market as a carrier, Mr. Wilson anticipates the cost of hooking up to high-speed Internet service will come down dramatically.

He was however unwilling to publicise WOW's plan for prices at this time.

"Look at it this way. We don't have the same overheads. We use the air so we don't have 600 miles of cable out there or telephone wires or whatever it is so we don't have that infrastructure, air does not deteriorate and it is upon air that we carry the signal so wireless, if you do it correctly, is the cheaper way to go. Air is free."

Mr. Wilson spoke with The Royal Gazette following news last week that ISPs across the Island had slashed their prices for dial-up and DSL Internet service. While the majority of residential Internet users still dial up to their ISP over a phone line, those craving faster download and upload times opt for DSL service.

Last week ISPs dropped their prices for DSL service to a starting point of $29.95 for 128k uploads and downloads. While that price is down dramatically from the past, it is not the only amount a DSL user must pay to access their Internet account. They must also pay for a line on which to transmit their data.

Mr. Wilson said: "The important thing to the consumer is competitive prices. The consumer doesn't care where they go. If the service is good the next thing is which is the cheapest service. Cheap and good is the name of the game."

Mr. Wilson says that customers who use WOW as their common carrier will need a modem and a modified antenna different from the antenna Wow's television customers currently use.

Customers will not have to subscribe to the company's television service in order to use it as an Internet carrier. "The one that they use now is receive only and they have to be able to transmit the signal back out so it is just a modification on the antenna side," he said, adding that these will be available through his company. Becoming a common carrier is part of the second phase of Wow's business plan. The company, which only launched its wireless television service earlier this year, has been endeavouring to solve rain fade problems that some television subscribers had experienced.

"In January, we'll be putting out our tiered services, our new channel line up and then we're looking into doing things like video-on-demand but all that had to be put on the side burner until we cleared up our rain fade problems," Mr. Wilson said, adding that almost 90 percent of WOW's channels had now been secured from the natural elements.

"On the back of that would be the Internet so that is about six months out.

"There is considerable capital cost to do it which we know, there are no surprises here.

"Our plans have just been pulled out a bit because we've been taking care of some technical issues."