It's perpetually among our internal newsroom chatter that Comcast's Internet service can be, at times, atrocious. And what makes things worse is that in the comforts of our own residences, Comcast is one of the few providers our landlords and property owners tend to opt for.
This isn't merely a knock against Comcast (whose customer service is constantly ranked among the worst of any corporation, by the way) but rather the prime example of where startups can, for lack of a better term "disrupt," an industry. MassChallenge alum netBlazr is endeavoring to do exactly that, offering residents and commercial tenants alike an alternative to the seemingly soulless likes of Comcast and other corporate ISPs.
Back in June netBlazr officially announced its unbundled Internet service for larger scale residential complexes. With speeds that co-founder and CEO Jim Hanley told me rival Google Fiber and no added gimmicks or hidden fees, netBlazr is changing the way people plug into the vast realm of the World Wide Web.
That's the ultimate goal for netBlazr: to provide Greater Boston with as many cheap and viable Internet option as possible.
"We're an alternative [internet service provider] in Boston who builds out its own network using a network of competitive fiber optic cables and air fiber radio technologies to create a point-to-point network throughout the city," explained Hanley. "Over 100 buildings are lit up with our technology and linked together which creates a kind of spider web around the city."
Though June was the official announcement for netBlazr's residential service, interconnecting living units within a single building is something Hanley and his constituents have actually been perfecting since the end of last year. Shortly thereafter, at the end of Q1 2015, they started bringing on larger buildings as customers.
One building quickly led to another and a snowball effect ensued, catalyzed most substantially by word of mouth and Yelp – for which, out of 23 reviews at the time this article was written, it boasts a solid 5-star rating.
NetBlazr currently works with residences such as University Park in Cambridge, a luxury apartment complex on the campus of MIT, managed by Forest City.
In East Boston, netBlazr is teaming up with 156 Porter (a former factory for light bulbs and bras – not at the same time) to bring fast, affordable Internet to the 216 condos inside.
“While there may be new properties being added in Eastie, the team at 156 Porter is focused on providing a steady stream of upgrades and new amenities, such as the option for unbundled Internet access we now have with netBlazr,” said Bernadette Cantalupo, the building's general manager. “These features add to our residents’ quality of life and their enjoyment of the community.”
Hanley added that while the company is not quite ready to announce more upcoming partnerships, it's not inconceivable for buildings in the South End, South Boston, Back Bay and elsewhere to enjoy netBlazr's service.
It's important to note, too, that netBlazr isn't offering its high-speed broadband solely to commercial and heftier residential enterprises.
Individuals and smaller buildings can purchase it as well, though Hanley noted in some neighborhoods where one might expect a more liberal search for alternative services, like areas populated heavily by students, it's actually the opposite.
"A lot of times those student housing buildings, landlords aren't interested in anything," said Hanley. "Once in a while we'll get one that's kind of progressive," but generally those who manage residences that cater primarily to students aren't quite as willing to buck the major provider trend.
"Building owners tend to be pretty cautious on this kind of stuff," added Hanley while mentioning that by hooking up buildings with more notoriety, it helps sway those who aren't quite sure about netBlazr.
Ultimately, netBlazr aims for direct contact with residents rather than property managers and once they're able to get people living in the building on the side of its service, they tend to bring the service up to the landlords themselves.
As for what's looming on the horizon, Hanley was hesitant to show his hand – though he mentioned services of the public access variety aren't out of the question and future announcements could be rolling out in the coming weeks.
