MHO Networks: Fast, Dedicated Fixed Wireless Ethernet and Internet
MHO Networks provides high-speed fixed wireless internet and networking solutions for enterprises, offering rapid installation and 99.99% uptime guarantees.
Overview
MHO Networks is a premier provider of high-speed data and internet solutions, specializing in FCC-licensed fixed wireless technology. Founded with the mission to provide a viable, high-performance alternative to traditional fiber and copper-based telecommunications, MHO has established a dominant presence in major metropolitan markets across the United States, including areas in California, Colorado, and Texas.
The company's primary focus is serving the enterprise market, catering to mid-market and large-scale organizations that require high-availability connectivity. Their service portfolio includes Dedicated Internet Access (DIA), Metro Ethernet (Layer 2) point-to-point and point-to-multipoint solutions, and specialized networking for multi-tenant environments. MHO has built a reputation as a "fiber alternative" or "fiber supplement," moving beyond the limitations of ground-based infrastructure to deliver carrier-grade networking through the air.
Historically, MHO has grown by identifying gaps in the traditional telecom landscape—specifically the long lead times and high construction costs associated with bringing fiber to a building. By leveraging microwave technology, they have positioned themselves as the go-to provider for businesses needing immediate scalability or a secondary, completely diverse path for redundancy. Their target audience spans diverse sectors, including healthcare, technology, education, and professional services, all of whom rely on MHO for mission-critical digital operations.
Positioning
MHO Networks positions itself as the "Smarter Alternative to Fiber." Their market strategy is built on three pillars: Speed of Installation, Reliability, and Path Diversity. While traditional internet service providers (ISPs) compete on price and bundled consumer services, MHO focuses exclusively on the enterprise, positioning their services as a premium, high-reliability utility.
In the competitive landscape, MHO differentiates itself from "Big Telecom" (like AT&T or Comcast) by highlighting the lack of bureaucracy and the physical independence of their network. They position their fixed wireless solution not as a "backup" to fiber, but as a primary connection that is superior in terms of deployment speed and physical security. Their messaging often targets IT Directors and CTOs who are frustrated by the months-long wait times for fiber trenching or who are concerned about "backhoe fade"—the common occurrence of fiber lines being cut during construction. By framing their microwave technology as a sophisticated, licensed, and interference-free medium, they overcome the historical stigma of "wireless" internet, positioning it instead as a modern, high-tier enterprise standard.
Differentiation
The core of MHO’s product uniqueness lies in their FCC-licensed fixed wireless microwave technology. Unlike standard Wi-Fi or unlicensed wireless providers, MHO operates on dedicated, licensed frequencies, which eliminates the risk of interference and ensures carrier-grade reliability. Their primary product offerings—MHO Dedicated Internet and MHO Metro Ethernet—provide symmetrical speeds ranging from 10Mbps to 10Gbps, matching the performance of fiber optics without the physical vulnerabilities of underground cabling.
Key technical advantages include:
- Rapid Deployment: MHO can typically install and activate a high-speed connection within 10 business days, a fraction of the time required for fiber build-outs.
- True Path Diversity: Because their signal travels through the air from a distribution hub directly to the customer's roof, MHO provides a physically separate path from terrestrial fiber. This is a critical advantage for disaster recovery and business continuity.
- Industry-Leading SLAs: MHO offers a 99.99% uptime guarantee, backed by low latency and jitter specifications that are explicitly defined in their service level agreements.
- Scalability: Their technology allows for "bursting" capabilities and easy bandwidth upgrades via software changes, rather than hardware replacements, providing clients with significant operational flexibility.
Ideal Customer Profile
The ideal MHO customer is a mid-market to enterprise-level organization located in a major metropolitan area (such as Los Angeles, Denver, or Dallas) that views internet connectivity as a mission-critical utility. They typically have 50+ employees or run high-bandwidth cloud operations. This customer often has 'fiber-fatigue'—frustrated by the long lead times, poor support, and vulnerability of traditional underground carriers. They value speed of deployment and network diversity, often maintaining a hybrid environment where MHO serves as either the high-performance primary link or the essential redundant path.
Best Fit
- Mission-Critical Low Latency: Ideal for businesses where milliseconds matter, such as high-frequency trading, real-time voice/video collaboration, and cloud-based ERP systems.
- Rapid Deployment Scenarios: Best for companies that cannot wait 60-90 days for fiber construction and need high-speed enterprise connectivity in days rather than months.
- Diverse Path Redundancy: Perfect for enterprises requiring a secondary connection that is physically diverse from underground fiber to ensure 100% uptime during street-level outages or construction accidents.
- Temporary or Construction Sites: Excellent for high-bandwidth needs at temporary locations where permanent infrastructure is unavailable.
Offerings
- MHO Dedicated Internet: Guaranteed, symmetric bandwidth for general enterprise use with 99.99% uptime.
- MHO Metro Ethernet: Private Layer 2 networking to connect multiple offices within a city at LAN speeds.
- MHO MPLS/VPLS: Advanced wide-area networking for complex corporate infrastructures requiring prioritized traffic.
- MHO Rapid Install: A specialized service tier for organizations needing connectivity in under 10 business days.
- MHO Managed Services: Optional add-ons for managed routers and firewall security.
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Introduction
Welcome to the comprehensive buying guide for MHO Networks. In an era where business continuity depends entirely on internet uptime, MHO Networks offers a unique alternative to traditional fiber-optic providers. Specializing in high-speed, carrier-grade Fixed Wireless Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) and Metro Ethernet, MHO leverages advanced radio technology to bypass the limitations of underground infrastructure.
This guide is designed for IT Directors, CTOs, and Network Architects who are evaluating MHO for primary connectivity or as a physically diverse backup solution. You will learn about MHO’s unique microwave-based delivery system, their industry-leading installation timelines, and how their Service Level Agreements (SLAs) compare to traditional telecommunications giants. By the end of this guide, you will have the technical and business insights necessary to determine if MHO’s "fiber-in-the-air" approach is the right fit for your organizational infrastructure.
Key Features
- Fixed Wireless Dedicated Internet (DIA): Symmetric upload and download speeds ranging from 10Mbps to 10Gbps, delivered over a private, FCC-licensed microwave spectrum.
- Carrier-Grade Reliability: Unlike 'best effort' wireless, MHO provides a 99.99% uptime guarantee backed by a comprehensive SLA.
- Ultra-Low Latency: By transmitting data through the air (which is faster than light through glass fiber) and avoiding multi-hop terrestrial routing, MHO often achieves lower latency than fiber.
- Rapid Scalability: Bandwidth can often be upgraded remotely via software within hours, allowing businesses to scale without hardware swaps.
- Physical Diversity: Because the signal travels through the air, it is immune to 'backhoe fade' (fiber cuts), providing true path diversity for disaster recovery.
- Metro Ethernet Services: Secure, private Layer 2 transport between multiple office locations within a metropolitan area.
Use Cases
- The 'Fiber-Cut' Insurance: A large regional hospital uses MHO as a secondary connection. When a local utility project accidentally cut the primary fiber line, the hospital's network automatically failed over to MHO, maintaining zero-interruption for EHR and telemedicine systems.
- The High-Growth Tech Hub: A software startup moved into a new office that lacked fiber infrastructure. While the local telco quoted 4 months for construction, MHO installed a 1Gbps dedicated line in 7 business days.
- The Latency-Sensitive Trader: A financial services firm in Denver utilizes MHO for its proprietary trading desk to achieve lower millisecond pings to local data centers compared to traditional cable providers.
- Event Connectivity: A major outdoor conference required high-capacity bandwidth for 5,000 attendees for one week; MHO deployed a temporary high-speed link that was removed post-event.
Pricing Models
- Subscription-Based: Monthly recurring charges (MRC) based on committed bandwidth (e.g., 100Mbps, 1Gbps).
- Contract Terms: Typically 12, 24, or 36-month agreements; longer terms generally result in lower monthly rates.
- Installation Fees: A one-time NRC (Non-Recurring Charge) for equipment setup and cabling.
- Scalable Tiers: Pricing is tiered; however, MHO allows for 'burstable' options in some configurations where users pay for what they use above a baseline.
- No Data Caps: All enterprise plans include unlimited data usage without throttling.
Technical Requirements
- Line of Sight (LOS): Clear, unobstructed view between the customer's roof and an MHO base station (PoP).
- Roof Rights: Legal permission to mount a small microwave dish (usually 1-2 feet in diameter) on a non-penetrating sled or mast.
- Cabling Path: A path for Cat6 or Fiber cabling from the roof to the internal MDF/IDF (Server Room).
- Power: Standard 110v power for the indoor power injector (PoE) or rack-mounted equipment.
- Space: Minimal rack space (1U) for the handoff device if required.
Business Requirements
- Strategic Site Selection: Organizations must be located within MHO’s coverage areas (primarily major metropolitan regions in CA, NV, CO, and TX) and have roof access for equipment installation.
- Stakeholder Alignment: IT leadership must coordinate with Facilities Management or Building Ownership for 'Right of Entry' (ROE) agreements to install a small radio dish on the roof.
- Internal Networking Readiness: A networking team capable of managing an Ethernet handoff and configuring BGP (if using MHO for redundancy) is required.
- Change Management: Shift in mindset from traditional 'wired' reliability to understanding the carrier-grade stability of modern Fixed Wireless technology.
Implementation Timeline
MHO is known for one of the fastest deployment cycles in the industry:
- Phase 1: Discovery & Site Survey (Days 1-2): Engineering team performs a line-of-sight (LOS) assessment to confirm signal strength.
- Phase 2: Proposal & Contract (Days 3-5): Finalizing bandwidth requirements and signing service agreements.
- Phase 3: Installation & Alignment (Days 5-10): Physical installation of the radio unit on the roof and cabling to the server room.
- Phase 4: Testing & Handoff (Day 10): Throughput and latency testing, followed by official service activation. Note: Timelines are significantly shorter than fiber because no trenching or street permits are required.
Support Options
- 24/7/365 NOC: A US-based Network Operations Center providing proactive monitoring and technical support.
- Proactive Notification: MHO often identifies and begins resolving signal issues before the customer is aware of an outage.
- Local Engineering: Field technicians are located within the markets they serve for rapid on-site response if hardware fails.
- SLA Guarantees: Competitive SLAs covering latency, jitter, packet loss, and 99.99% availability.
- Design Services: Access to MHO network architects to help design complex multi-site or hybrid-cloud topologies.
Integration Requirements
- Standard Handoff: Service is delivered via a standard RJ-45 or Fiber (LC) Ethernet handoff.
- Protocol Support: Full support for BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) for companies using MHO as a redundant path alongside another carrier.
- IP Addressing: Options for static IPv4 and IPv6 blocks.
- Network Monitoring: SNMP support for integration into existing enterprise monitoring tools (e.g., SolarWinds, LogicMonitor).
- Layer 2/Layer 3: Capability to provide dedicated point-to-point (E-Line) or multipoint (E-LAN) configurations.
Security & Compliance
- Licensed Spectrum: MHO operates on FCC-licensed frequencies, preventing interference and providing a legal layer of protection against signal poaching.
- Encryption-Ready: While MHO provides the transport layer, the network is fully compatible with all enterprise-grade VPN and end-to-end encryption protocols.
- Physical Security: Radio equipment is installed in secure roof locations with restricted access.
- Compliance Alignment: Supports the transport requirements for HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and SOC2 compliant organizations by providing private, non-shared dedicated paths.
- DDoS Mitigation: MHO offers optional DDoS protection services to scrub malicious traffic before it reaches the customer handoff.
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