Wisper ISP

What Wisper ISP does

Wisper ISP is a regional broadband internet service provider headquartered in Mascoutah, Illinois, that delivers fixed wireless and an expanding fiber footprint to residential and small-business customers in rural and underserved communities across six Midwest states (Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Indiana, and Oklahoma). Founded in 2003 by CEO Nathan Stooke out of an O'Fallon, Illinois launch with a single tower and a fold-up ladder, the company now serves over 20,000 subscribers and employs more than 200 people. Its core product, Wisper Internet Residential Plans, offers five speed tiers from 25 Mbps to 400 Mbps with no contracts, no cancellation fees, and unlimited data, paired with a premium router, whole-home Wi-Fi coverage, and the Wisper Home app for network and device management. Tower-based fixed wireless delivery (with radios typically within five miles of customer premises) forms the primary access architecture, supplemented by fiber services at higher speeds and targeted enterprise SLAs.

The company operates a multi-product revenue model. Residential internet subscriptions are the primary revenue stream (tiered $59.99-$119.99/month), augmented by a $7/month equipment fee, $100 installation charges, and bundled VoIP home phone ($25/month), Wisper Television streaming (125 channels), email and web hosting ($3-$15/month), domain registration, and Lifeline program participation. Wisper Business extends these capabilities into Dedicated Internet Access up to 1GB/1GB, backup internet, point-to-point transport, business VoIP, static IP, and priority support, with business tier pricing from $89.99 to $149.99/month. Distribution is direct and sales-led: phone-based acquisition (sales available Mon-Fri 8am-6pm and Sat 9am-5pm at 844-765-0880), an online availability checker, professional local installation, and a community-driven referral program ('Free Internet for Life' after five successful referrals). Marketing emphasizes local ownership, no contracts, unlimited data, and an NPS of 63 versus an industry average of 16.

The company's growth has been materially accelerated by a 2018 Federal Communications Commission Connect America Fund Phase II Auction award of $220.3 million, recognized over a multi-year rural deployment period. Strategic positioning rests on serving geography that larger cable and fiber incumbents deem economically unviable, with brand presence reinforced through sponsorship of racetracks and rural community events in Illinois and Missouri, senior/military/first-responder discounts, AutoPay incentives, and active participation in industry forums such as the 2026 Proactive ISP Virtual Summit. App links and APIs are not a material surface for the business; customer interactions center on the in-house Wisper Home app and the Wisper customer portal, supporting payment via Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, PayPal, Venmo, Google Pay, Apple Pay, ACH, and Walmart Bill Pay.

Name

Wisper ISP

Legal name

Wisper ISP, LLC

Website

https://wisperisp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Wisper ISP is a regional fixed wireless broadband provider serving over 20,000 residential and small-business subscribers across six Midwest states, focusing on rural and underserved communities with no-contract internet, unlimited data, and locally managed installation and support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fixed Wireless Broadband Internet Services

NAICS

Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (517112)

SIC

Communications Services, Nec (4899)

akta.pro primary industry

Wireless ISPs (WISPs) & Fixed Wireless Access Providers (HDAIADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Residential/Broadband ISPs (Consumer Internet) (HDAIADAA), Managed Internet & Value-Added ISP Services (Managed Router/Wi-Fi, Security, Filtering) (HDAIADAJ), Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP/FTTH) Broadband Providers (HDAIABAC)

Keywords

• Fixed wireless broadband
• Rural internet service
• Residential internet plans
• Business internet solutions
• VoIP home phone

Headquarters

HQ city

Mascoutah

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Residential Internet Service: Monthly subscription internet service for residential customers with various speed tiers ranging from 25 Mbps to 400 Mbps. No contracts, no cancellation fees, unlimited data included.
2. Business Internet Service: Dedicated internet packages for small and rural businesses including Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) up to 1GB/1GB, backup internet plans, and point-to-point data transport services.
3. Equipment Fees: Monthly equipment fee of $7.00 for router installed inside home, cabling, and outdoor wireless radio. Installation fees of $100 for standard installations.
4. Home Phone (VoIP): VoIP home phone service at $25.00/month. Unlimited local and long-distance calling within U.S., 911 emergency support, voicemail, caller ID, and call blocking included.
5. Television Streaming: Wisper Television streaming service offering 125 channels including entertainment, travel, educational, and lifestyle content. Available on Roku, Amazon FireTV, smart TVs, tablets, and phones.
6. Email and Web Hosting: Web hosting packages from $3.00/month (Basic DNS only) to $15.00/month (Max with 50GB disk space). Domain registration for .com at $16.50/year, .org at $18.00/year.
7. Referral Program Credits: Up to $100 credit for each successful referral. After 5 referrals, customer receives free internet for life. Referral program drives customer acquisition.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Wisper ISP is a regional fixed wireless broadband provider delivering high-speed internet (25 Mbps to 400 Mbps) to rural and underserved communities across six Midwest states via tower-based radio systems. The company serves both residential and small business customers with bundled internet, VoIP home phone, and streaming television services.

Product overview

Wisper ISP is a rural fixed wireless and expanding fiber broadband internet provider founded in 2003, serving over 20,000 subscribers across six states (Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Indiana, and Oklahoma). The company's core product is its residential internet service (Wisper Internet Residential Plans), offering five speed tiers from 25 Mbps to 400 Mbps with no contracts and unlimited data. Adjacent to the core residential internet, Wisper offers several integrated add-on services: Wisper Business provides dedicated internet, backup connectivity, and hosting for commercial customers; Wisper Home Phone delivers VoIP telephony over the internet connection; and Wisper Television provides a 125-channel streaming TV service accessible via web, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV. The Wisper Home App provides network and device management as a included feature across all plans, while the Customer Portal handles billing, payments, and account management with support for credit cards, PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, Google Pay, ACH, and Walmart Bill Pay. The Free Internet for Life Referral Program incentivizes customer advocacy, and the Wisper Connect library offers supplementary support content. Business customers additionally access email/website hosting, domain registration, SSL certificates, and static IP services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wisper Business: Tailored internet solutions for small and rural businesses with dedicated internet access, backup plans, point-to-point data transport, and business VoIP services.
• Wisper Television
• Wisper Home Phone

Products and services

• Wisper Internet Residential Plans

Quantifiable outcome

• NPS score of 63 vs industry average of 16
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• NTCA - The Rural Broadband AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 April 2026NTCA is represented as a speaker at the Proactive ISP Virtual Summit discussing AI in broadband operations for regional and rural ISPs.
• Illinois and Missouri Racetracks and Local RacersminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 March 2026Wisper announced sponsorships of more than 20 racetracks and local racers across Illinois and Missouri for the 2026 racing season. This initiative supports local communities and delivering reliable internet to areas underserved by other providers. Dirt track racing has deep cultural roots in both states, and Wisper's investment helps these racing traditions continue.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rise Broadband: Largest fixed wireless internet service provider in the U.S., serving rural and suburban markets across 16 states. Directly comparable as a WISP with similar residential/business tiered pricing, fixed wireless delivery, and rural broadband focus.
• NextLink Internet: Texas-headquartered WISP that won substantial FCC CAF Phase II funding to deploy rural fixed wireless broadband. Comparable in funding model, fixed wireless technology, rural customer base, and Tier 2/3 market expansion strategy.
• Watch Communications: Regional fixed wireless broadband provider serving rural Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and surrounding Midwest states. Directly comparable as a WISP overlapping with Wisper in Indiana and Illinois, using similar tower-based delivery model.
• Etheric Networks: Bay Area and Central California WISP offering fixed wireless broadband to underserved residential and business customers. Comparable in fixed wireless technology, tiered residential/business pricing, and focus on areas where fiber is uneconomic.
• Ptera Wireless: Inland Northwest WISP serving rural and underserved communities in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. Comparable as a regional fixed wireless provider with similar tower-based deployment, rural customer focus, and competing with satellite/DSL alternatives.

Emerging players

• Starlink (SpaceX): SpaceX's LEO satellite broadband service directly targeting rural and underserved households with nationwide coverage. Competes for the same rural customers as Wisper, with improving speeds and falling hardware prices, though Wisper retains latency and weather-reliability advantages.

Broad incumbents

• T-Mobile Home Internet: Fixed wireless access (5G FWA) home internet service from a major wireless carrier. Competes for rural and small-town broadband customers in adjacent markets with aggressively priced, no-contract plans backed by a national carrier brand.
• AT&T Internet Air: AT&T's 5G fixed wireless home internet offering targeting rural and suburban households. Comparable as a fixed wireless broadband service competing for the same underserved residential customer base that Wisper addresses.
• Frontier Communications: Large incumbent fiber and copper broadband provider with deep rural and small-town footprint in the Midwest. Competitor for residential and small business internet, increasingly pivoting to fiber overbuilds that may overlap with Wisper's territory.
• Mediacom Communications: Top-10 U.S. cable broadband provider serving smaller markets and rural-adjacent communities across the Midwest and South. Competes with Wisper for residential broadband subscribers in towns at the edge of cable's footprint, with similar customer demographics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wisperisp
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCeE03kuTxLx7lpJnmjiLs1A
• Facebookfacebook.com/wisperisp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wisper-isp
• Instagraminstagram.com/wisperisp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wisper ISP