The Many Benefits of Fixed Wireless

Nextera, a Simplified Communications featured carrier, offers customizable solutions for voice, data and internet services via Minnesota’s largest fixed wireless internet network. Because the company controls its entire wireless network, independent of any phone company, both business and residential customers can enjoy high-quality, symmetrical bandwidth with faster installations and greater savings. The company’s portfolio of facility options includes fixed wireless, Ethernet over Copper (EoC), T-1 and fiber, and its voice services include T-1, SIP Trunking, Hosted PBX and more.

About Fixed Wireless

​Fixed wireless refers to wireless communication between fixed locations. Fixed wireless provides several advantages over traditional copper and fiber connections, including: rapid installation, high-speed and scalable bandwidth, an expanded coverage area, greater protection against downtime with path diversity and ethernet connectivity.

Not only is fixed-wireless a more efficient and affordable path to high-speed bandwidth, it's also secure and reliable. Nextera’s network is designed based on carrier class standards and uses signal modulation to ensure optimal throughput during adverse conditions. What’s more, a variety of performance enhancing techniques are utilized to maximize network performance and user experience.
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For more information about Nextera and how Simplified Communications can simplify your telecommunications plan, contact us today.

What happens when your monthly telecom invoice arrives? Is it reviewed line-by-line, or promptly paid without another glance? A telecom bill usually contains an overwhelming amount of data and coded details, and as a result, if it’s within a certain percentage of the previous month’s invoice, it’s paid without question. But consider the fact that telecom expenses can make up 5-20 percent of a company's annual expenses, representing thousands of dollars.

Public and private business, both large and small, can benefit from a professional telecom audit, which goes far beyond making sure the numbers add up. Simplified Communications will conduct a telecom audit for your business and thoroughly examines your organization's telecommunication expenses in order to help you identify opportunities to cut costs and save money.

Professional telecom audits analyze your current telecom environment, including things like: peak calling times; Internet, wireless and VoIP usage and charges; long distance, local and roaming charges; current tariff charges and more.

From saving money to identifying potential pit falls, a telecom audit can benefit your company in many ways.

• Identify peak call times so you can respond with more staff for improved customer experience.
• Catch possible phone abuse or toll fraud quickly.
• Gain a better understanding of your telecom needs so you can allocate expenses accordingly.
• Get an overview of system usage to show which trunks are being over- or under-utilized.
• Examine extension/employee productivity to improve performance.

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Because Simplified Communications agents have years of telecom experience, we can recognize billing errors and, if any are found, immediately follow up with the provider to request a credit on your behalf. For more information, contact a Simplified Communications agent today.

We aren't too far into 2017 and it seems technology is a main focus. From widely-publicized cyber-attacks to major technology company mergers and acquisitions, technology news is dominating the airways. What we know for certain is that IT will continue to evolve at a rapid pace.

SD-WAN Expansion
We brought this to your attention in October, but in case you missed it, Software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) is the wave of the future. We expect as demand increases, there will be more disruptions in the industry.

Predictions are that within three years, 30% of users will manage their WAN through the SD software, and others estimate that figure to be more like 70%. Being an early adopter of SD-WAN has clear connectivity and cost advantages.

WHAT IS SD-WAN?
​Software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) is a specific application of software-defined networking (SDN) technology applied to wide area network (WAN) connections, which are used to connect one or more offices over large geographic distances.
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“SDN is an architecture, where as SD-WAN is a technology you can buy."
-Andrew Lerner, Analyst

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES?
One advantage of SD-WAN is its ability to manage multiple types of connections. This can cut costs, because the technology can use Internet broadband connections services via the cloud and replace more expensive solutions, such as routing hardware. Since SD-WAN can be controlled through the cloud, it is more flexible and can be scaled during peak demand.

For rural sites with limited connectivity, SD-WAN can provide enough bandwidth to use voice over IP (VoIP) and process credit card transactions.

Additionally, its virtualization technology is applied to security and virtual private networking (VPN) technology, making them more secure. 
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Connect with your broker to see if this is an option for your business.