Internet FAQs

A: Both! Bug Tussel provides underserved areas with a combination of fixed wireless and fiber optic internet options to ensure that as many residents as possible are able to receive high-speed internet.

A: Bug Tussel is a Wisconsin based Internet Service Provider and is dedicated to serving rural communities and prioritizes under-served areas. We provide both Fixed Wireless Internet and Fiber Optic Internet to areas where others can’t or won’t. We are also an AT&T Authorized Retailer and have a stores offering the full complement of AT&T products and services. Our Business Development Managers located in your area can also help deliver those same products and services direct to your home.

A: Bug Tussel is headquartered in Green Bay, WI with Business Development Managers conveniently located throughout the state to help bring services to local communities. Click here to find your Regional Representative.

A: Bug Tussel began providing cellular enhancements to rural Wisconsin for other national carriers in 2003 and expanded into broadband Internet in 2006. Bug Tussel now provides broadband Internet, cellular, and entertainment services in 50+ counties in Wisconsin with additional sites in other Midwest states.

A: We believe our rural communities are essential to Wisconsin, our economy, our quality of life, and what makes our state great. Our rural communities should not be left unserved and under-served. We think “outside the box” with a do whatever it takes attitude to provide Fixed Wireless Internet and Fiber Optic Internet to areas where others can’t or won’t.

A: Bug Tussel is dedicated to serving rural communities and prioritizes under-served areas. If you feel your area is in need of better Internet service, please contact us about helping to extend services to your community. If you’re a land owner in an under-served area, you may be eligible for hosting a tower.

The term broadband commonly refers to high-speed Internet access that is always on and faster than traditional dial-up access.

Broadband includes several high-speed transmission technologies such as:

• Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)
• Cable
• Fiber Optic to the Home
• Fixed Wireless
• Satellite

The Broadband Internet Technology available to you will depend on several factors. These may include whether you live in an urban or rural area, how broadband Internet access is packaged with other services (such as voice telephone and home entertainment), price, and availability.

A: Wireless Internet differs from traditional internet in the way the last mile of service is delivered to the subscriber’s home. Instead of providing that last mile of service through a Fiber Optic or Coaxial Cable direct to the home or business, Fixed Wireless Internet uses radio waves (often transmitted from a cell tower) to deliver the Internet connection. These signals are transmitted directly to the receiver placed on the subscriber’s property. Once the signal reaches the receiver, the connection to the router, Wi-Fi network, and subscriber’s device is the same as any other internet connection. Wireless infrastructure makes high speed internet economically feasible for the provider and the subscriber in rural and underserved areas.

A: Bandwidth is the volume of data that can be sent over a connection between two devices in a single second. Calculated as megabits per second or Mbps. When bandwidth (also known as download speed) is over-utilized, it can cause the Internet connections to slow and content such as video streaming will buffer.

Mbps vs MB

What’s the difference? The term bit is short for binary digit and it’s the smallest unit of data.

The term byte is a group of 8 bits. This is also used to describe the smallest unit of memory and storage.

Any measurement written in bytes is eight times larger than the corresponding unit measured in bits. In other words, 1 megabyte (1 MB) = 8 megabits (8 Mbps). And 1 gigabyte (1 GB) = 8 gigabits (8 Gb)

A: We aim to have a small footprint and impact to the local areas where we build towers. The impact of fertilizers, agricultural runoff, and emissions of motor vehicles have a far greater impact than cell towers. The cell tower industry is subject to stringent regulations for protecting animal habitats. Additionally, we do soil testing in compliance with the National Environmental Protection Act. We also evaluate each site for any historical structures, Native American artifacts,  and impacts to migratory birds or endangered flora and fauna.

A: Cell towers that are made of steel and concrete have no more negative health effects than the home you live in. The antenna at the top of the tower broadcasts at a relatively low wattage that is far less impactful than the focus radiation you get from the sun, tanning bed, or medical X-Rays. Considering the radiation emission of frequent cell phone use, the incidence of brain cancer has consistently decreased over the last 30 years.  There are no reputable research studies at this time that prove any adverse health effects of cell towers or the use of cell phones.

A: Generally no. Bug Tussel provides the wireless broadband Internet through radio waves transmitted from our cellular towers to a receiver on the customer’s property. Due to the tower height, it is possible that service could be affected occasionally by severe weather. Bug Tussel’s team of network operations staff and on-call technicians are standing by to provide 24-hour support.

A: Potentially. Most of our wireless services require line of sight connection to our nearest cell tower. The higher we can install the receiver on a customer’s property, the better.

A: Yes. We provide a variety of plans that can accommodate simultaneous streaming for multiple users within a household.

A: No. Bug Tussel provides broadband internet through radio waves that transmit from cell towers to a receiver on the customer’s property.

A: If you currently do not own your own equipment (i.e. wireless router), a standard equipment rental fee of $10 per month may apply. This applies to external and/or internal equipment required. Depending on the type of service, a one-time charge for installation may also apply. Please contact your Regional Representative to learn more.

A: First, it may be helpful to review previous generations of mobile networks…

1G First generation – 1980s:
1G delivered analog voice. Made the first mobile phones possible.

2G Second generation – Early 1990s:
2G introduced digital voice (e.g. CDMA- Code Division Multiple Access). Allowed for SMS text messages and multimedia messages (MMS).

3G Third generation – Early 2000s:
3G brought mobile data (e.g. CDMA2000). Web connectivity was standardized. Led to the rise of video conferencing, video streaming, and voice over IP.

4G Fourth generation – 2010s:
4G LTE ushered in the era of mobile broadband. The streaming era, gaming, HD videos, and video conferences. Phones needed to be specifically made to run 4G services.

5G Fifth generation – 2019+:
The Internet of Things era, supports advanced networks between smartphones, homes, appliances, automobiles, aircraft, etc. It requires more towers with more advanced and expensive equipment to bring faster speeds.

Currently, the US is almost completely covered by the 4G network. This means nearly all Americans live in an area with access to 4G LTE service. With 4G reaching its full potential, the 5G network began development. It is important to understand that 5G is not meant to completely replace 4G, but work simultaneously with it. The main benefit of the 5G network is nearly 10x the speed with decreased latency and the ability to support 100x more people. With high speeds, superior reliability, and negligible latency, 5G will expand the mobile ecosystem into new realms. 5G will impact every industry making for safer transportation, remote healthcare, precision agriculture, digitized logistics, etc. a reality. The main issue that arises with 5G, since it is emitted at a higher frequency, is limited range and the inability of millimeter wave signals to penetrate obstructions.4G towers provide coverage within 10 miles of a tower while 5G is only capable of providing coverage up to about 1600ft. This is the main reason the next generation will be built using both 4G and 5G services together.

A: Some of our towers operate LTE technology. LTE stands for Long Term Evolution as part of 4G (4th generation) advancements in technology. This equipment does not need direct line of sight to provide coverage for Internet services. This is especially useful in areas where difficult terrain makes connections very challenging. While our point-to-multipoint (PTP) is more often capable of delivering faster speeds, PTP technology requires a direct line of sight connection to the tower.