Natural Wireless: High-Speed Dedicated Business Internet Solutions
Natural Wireless provides high-speed microwave and fiber internet solutions to NYC businesses, offering rapid deployment and 99.99% uptime for mission-critical apps.
Overview
Natural Wireless is a premier Internet Service Provider (ISP) specializing in high-performance connectivity solutions for the enterprise and commercial real estate sectors. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in New York City, the company has established a significant footprint by operating an independent, carrier-grade network that bypasses the traditional copper and fiber infrastructure of legacy "Baby Bell" providers.
The vendor’s core offerings center on Fixed Wireless Internet, Dedicated Fiber Access, and Managed Network Services. Natural Wireless primarily serves small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs), large corporate offices, healthcare facilities, and the hospitality industry. They have gained a particular reputation for their expertise in providing connectivity for high-stakes environments, such as luxury residential buildings and commercial skyscrapers, where reliable, high-speed access is a non-negotiable requirement for tenants.
Throughout its history, Natural Wireless has focused on the New York metropolitan market, leveraging the city's unique vertical topography to build a robust mesh of microwave points-of-presence (PoPs). This geographic focus allows them to offer specialized services like "Quick-Install" internet, which can get a business online in as little as 3 to 5 days—a stark contrast to the 30-to-90-day lead times typical of traditional fiber builds. Their service portfolio is designed to meet the demands of modern digital workflows, supporting everything from basic web browsing to complex multi-site SD-WAN architectures and private cloud on-ramps. Additionally, they provide temporary event WiFi and short-term bandwidth solutions, catering to the city's vibrant media and production industries.
Positioning
Natural Wireless positions itself as the "Premium Alternative" to national Tier-1 carriers. Their market strategy is built on the pillars of speed, reliability, and local expertise. In a market dominated by massive, often impersonal conglomerates, Natural Wireless leans into its identity as a specialized, agile provider that offers better performance and more personalized service.
Their messaging targets three specific buyer personas:
- The Frustrated IT Manager: Who is tired of the long lead times and poor support of "Big Telco" and needs a partner who can deploy quickly and respond to tickets immediately.
- The Risk-Averse Executive: Who requires a secondary, physically diverse internet connection to ensure 100% business continuity.
- The Property Manager/Owner: Who wants to increase the value of their real estate asset by offering "Instant-On" high-speed internet as a premium amenity to tenants.
Natural Wireless differentiates itself from competitors like Verizon or Spectrum by highlighting its independence. They position their microwave technology not just as a "wireless" solution, but as an "above-ground fiber" equivalent that is immune to the common causes of outages in urban environments. Their brand promise is centered on 99.99% uptime and a "no-excuses" approach to customer service, positioning them as a high-reliability partner for businesses where connectivity is tied directly to revenue.
Differentiation
The primary technical differentiator for Natural Wireless is its high-capacity Fixed Wireless Microwave technology. Unlike traditional fiber which requires extensive street trenching and is subject to municipal delays, Natural Wireless uses line-of-sight microwave technology to deliver symmetrical gigabit speeds in a fraction of the time. This technology is particularly advantageous for "Broadband-in-a-Box" solutions, providing immediate connectivity for construction sites, pop-up events, and temporary corporate offices.
Key product advantages include:
- True Redundancy: Because their wireless signals travel through the air, they provide a physically diverse path from traditional underground fiber. This makes their service an ideal failover solution for businesses that cannot afford a single point of failure caused by street-level fiber cuts.
- Low Latency: Their microwave technology offers "sub-millisecond" latency, which is critical for high-frequency trading, VoIP, and real-time cloud applications.
- Scalability: Their architecture allows for rapid bandwidth scaling. A client can often increase their throughput via software configuration rather than waiting for physical hardware upgrades.
- Guaranteed Symmetry: Unlike cable providers, Natural Wireless offers equal upload and download speeds, which is essential for modern businesses relying heavily on cloud uploads and video conferencing.
Their product suite also extends into Managed Wi-Fi and SD-WAN, allowing them to provide a holistic network edge solution that integrates seamlessly with their core connectivity offerings.
Ideal Customer Profile
The ideal customer for Natural Wireless is a Mid-Market to Enterprise organization or a High-Density Residential Property located in major metropolitan areas (with a heavy focus on the New York/New Jersey metro).
Specifically, they are a perfect fit for:
- Industries: Media/Entertainment, Finance, Tech Startups, Hospitality, and Commercial Real Estate.
- Company Size: 20 to 1,000+ employees.
- Technical Maturity: Organizations that view internet connectivity as a mission-critical utility and understand the value of 'path diversity' for disaster recovery.
- Budget: Companies willing to pay for premium, dedicated service rather than 'best-effort' consumer-grade broadband.
- Team: Firms with an internal IT manager or a managed service provider (MSP) who can manage the local network handoff.
Best Fit
- High-Density Residential & Commercial Properties: Natural Wireless excels in multi-dwelling units (MDUs) and office buildings where traditional fiber or cable deployments are physically difficult or cost-prohibitive.
- Rapid Deployment Scenarios: When a business needs high-speed connectivity in days rather than months, their microwave technology bypasses the need for street trenching.
- Redundancy & Business Continuity: It is the ideal secondary circuit for enterprises requiring 'true' path diversity. Because it is delivered via airwaves, it is immune to street-level fiber cuts caused by construction.
- Bandwidth-Intensive Media Operations: Their symmetrical speeds make them a top choice for production houses and tech firms that upload as much data as they download.
Offerings
- Enterprise Dedicated Internet Access (DIA): A 1:1, non-oversubscribed connection with guaranteed speeds and a 99.99% uptime SLA. Best for offices and data-heavy businesses.
- Business Broadband: A cost-effective, high-speed option for smaller offices that need more reliability than cable but don't require fully dedicated bandwidth.
- Residential Bulk Internet: Tailored for MDU owners (apartments/condos) to provide building-wide high-speed internet as an included amenity.
- Redundancy & Failover: A 'standby' circuit specifically engineered to provide an alternative path to the internet for disaster recovery.
- Managed Wi-Fi: A full end-to-end solution including access point installation and guest portal management for offices or hotels.
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Introduction
Welcome to the evaluation guide for Natural Wireless, a leading provider of high-speed Fixed Wireless Internet and managed connectivity solutions. Unlike traditional Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that rely on aging copper or underground fiber-optic cables, Natural Wireless utilizes advanced microwave technology to deliver enterprise-grade, symmetrical bandwidth directly to commercial and residential buildings.
This guide is designed for IT Directors, CTOs, and Facility Managers who are seeking a reliable, low-latency alternative to traditional wireline services. You will learn about the unique advantages of fixed wireless—such as rapid deployment and physical path diversity—and how Natural Wireless compares to legacy providers in terms of performance, security, and scalability. By the end of this guide, you will have the technical and business criteria necessary to determine if Natural Wireless is the right fit for your organization’s connectivity strategy.
Key Features
- Symmetrical Gigabit Speeds: Unlike cable or DSL, Natural Wireless offers equal upload and download speeds (up to 10Gbps), critical for cloud backups, video conferencing, and large file transfers.
- Fixed Wireless Microwave Technology: High-frequency radio waves provide a direct, point-to-point connection that eliminates the latency and jitter often found in shared cable loops.
- True Path Diversity: By using the air as a medium, the connection is physically separate from the underground utility grid. This protects businesses from 'backhoe fades'—common outages caused by street construction.
- Low Latency (Sub-5ms): The 'short-path' nature of microwave transmission often results in lower latency than fiber-optics, making it ideal for high-frequency trading and real-time VoIP applications.
- Scalability on Demand: Bandwidth can often be increased via a software configuration change without needing new hardware, allowing businesses to scale up for seasonal needs or growth.
- Managed Router & Firewall Options: Provides a fully managed edge experience, reducing the burden on internal IT staff to maintain hardware.
Use Cases
- Media & Production (NYC): A post-production house in Manhattan uses Natural Wireless for its 1Gbps symmetrical speeds to upload 4K video dailies to cloud storage, cutting their transfer times by 70% compared to their previous cable provider.
- Financial Services: A mid-sized hedge fund utilizes Natural Wireless as a secondary ISP. When a water main break caused a street-level fiber outage, the firm automatically failed over to the wireless link, maintaining 100% uptime for their trading desk.
- Luxury Residential MDUs: A 200-unit high-rise offers Natural Wireless as a 'white-glove' amenity, providing residents with instant-on, high-speed internet that bypasses the local cable monopoly.
- Temporary Events/Construction: A large-scale outdoor event uses a temporary fixed wireless link to provide high-capacity Wi-Fi for thousands of attendees where no fiber infrastructure exists.
Pricing Models
Natural Wireless typically operates on a monthly recurring revenue (MRR) model with the following components:
- Bandwidth Tiers: Pricing is primarily driven by the committed information rate (CIR), ranging from 100Mbps to 10Gbps.
- Contract Terms: Standard 12, 24, or 36-month agreements. Longer terms typically significantly reduce the monthly cost.
- Installation Fees: A one-time NRC (Non-Recurring Charge) covers the rooftop equipment, cabling, and engineering. This may be waived for multi-year contracts in 'On-Net' buildings.
- Managed Services Add-ons: Additional costs for managed Wi-Fi, static IP blocks, and enhanced security/firewall management.
- SLA Credits: Tiered pricing often includes different Service Level Agreement (SLA) guarantees regarding uptime and time-to-repair.
Technical Requirements
- Line of Sight (LoS): The building must have a clear, unobstructed view of a Natural Wireless broadcast tower or hub.
- Rooftop Space: Approximately 2-4 square feet of space for a non-penetrating roof mount (ballast sled) or wall mount.
- Power: Standard 110v AC power in the telecommunications closet or suite to power the PoE (Power over Ethernet) injector.
- Cabling Path: Availability of a riser or conduit to run CAT6 or Fiber from the roof to the server room.
- Hardware: A router or firewall with an available Ethernet or SFP WAN port.
Business Requirements
To successfully implement Natural Wireless, organizations should consider the following:
- Stakeholder Buy-in: Facility managers or building owners must grant 'roof rights' for the installation of a small microwave dish (typically 1-2 feet in diameter).
- IT Skillset: While the service is managed, internal IT teams should understand basic networking (VLANs, IP handoffs) to integrate the connection into the corporate firewall.
- Process Readiness: If using the service for failover, the organization must have a dual-WAN router or SD-WAN appliance capable of automated traffic steering.
- Physical Access: On-site teams must coordinate access to the roof and the telecommunications closet (MPOE) for the initial site survey and installation.
Implementation Timeline
Natural Wireless is known for significantly faster lead times than traditional telcos:
- Phase 1: Discovery & Site Survey (Days 1-3): Technical teams perform a 'Line of Sight' (LoS) check to ensure a clear path to a Natural Wireless hub and inspect building risers.
- Phase 2: Contract & Engineering (Days 4-7): Finalizing bandwidth requirements and securing necessary roof access permits from building management.
- Phase 3: Physical Installation (Day 8-10): Mounting the transceiver on the roof and running CAT6 or Fiber cabling to the client's suite.
- Phase 4: Testing & Go-Live (Day 10-14): Speed testing, latency verification, and handoff to the client’s internal network. Note: Timeline may vary based on building management responsiveness and weather conditions.
Support Options
- 24/7/365 NOC: A US-based Network Operations Center monitors all circuits in real-time and proactively alerts customers to potential issues.
- Local Field Technicians: Because Natural Wireless focuses on specific metro markets (like NYC), they can deploy on-site technicians much faster than national carriers.
- Standard vs. Premium Support: Premium tiers include dedicated account managers and guaranteed 4-hour on-site response times.
- Online Portal: A customer dashboard for viewing bandwidth utilization reports, billing, and opening support tickets.
- Professional Services: Available for custom network design, indoor Wi-Fi heat mapping, and complex multi-site rollouts.
Integration Requirements
Natural Wireless provides a standard Ethernet handoff (RJ45 or SFP), making it compatible with virtually any modern networking hardware.
- IP Addressing: Support for Static IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.
- Network Standards: Fully compliant with IEEE 802.3 standards.
- SD-WAN Compatibility: Seamlessly integrates with providers like Velocloud, Silver Peak, or Cisco Meraki for hybrid-cloud and multi-WAN configurations.
- Handoff Options: 1Gbps or 10Gbps copper/fiber interfaces depending on the provisioned circuit size.
- Monitoring: SNMP-based monitoring is available for enterprise clients to track circuit health via their own NOC tools.
Security & Compliance
- Encryption: Data transmitted via microwave is encrypted at the radio layer using AES-256 bit encryption, making it virtually impossible to intercept compared to unencrypted copper lines.
- Physical Security: Equipment is installed in secure building enclosures and rooftop areas with restricted access.
- Regulatory Compliance: Natural Wireless operations are designed to support clients who must adhere to SOC2, HIPAA, and PCI-DSS standards by providing secure, private transport.
- DDoS Protection: Enterprise plans often include baseline DDoS mitigation to protect the circuit from volumetric attacks.
- Privacy: No data mining or traffic inspection for advertising purposes; the connection is a transparent pipe for the client.
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