Ann Arbor Wireless Joins Forces with IC.net to Create 20/20 Communications
Innovative Technology and Personalized Telecommunications Service

According to Ivars Upatnieks, chief technology officer of 20/20 and founder of IC.Net, the unique infrastructure of 20/20 will allow it to deliver new products directly to customers in a reliable, fast and affordable way. “We’re now our own network, and that impacts the quality of our products, with cost-effective bundled solutions that other companies simply can’t offer,” he says. “By joining forces, we can take Internet and telephone technology to the next level.”

The newest product for 20/20 will be Voice Over Internet Protocol, known as VoIP in the Internet world. “There’s going to be a real technology shift where we’re integrating cell phone technology and Internet connectivity, ultimately providing voice conversations to be carried over the Internet as opposed to traditional phone lines,” says Upatnieks.

In addition, 20/20 will introduce WiMax technology to the area, which is similar to WiFi (public access to a wireless Internet network). But, unlike WiFi, WiMax will provide advanced wireless Internet connection on a much larger scale in a broader physical area. “Where WiFi might provide Internet connectivity over a few hundred feet,” explains Upatnieks, “WiMax can provide coverage over a 10 mile radius. This technology will be especially useful in unreached rural communities where wired connections would be difficult and costly.”

Casting the vision for 20/20 Communications, McCleary notes that the Internet is a platform to build on in delivering voice and data services. “We’re in another telecommunications revolution, similar to when wireless cell phones came out in 1985,” he says. “At that point, we didn’t understand the scope and depth of the wireless industry. We’re at a critical point now and are hoping to enjoy a similar renaissance.”