First Step Internet
Independent private regional ISP serving the Palouse region of northern Idaho and eastern Washington since 1994, offering fiber-to-the-home, fixed LTE, wireless, VoIP, and networking services to residential and business customers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersMoscow, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What First Step Internet does
First Step Internet (FSI) is a privately-held regional internet service provider founded in 1994 and headquartered in Moscow, Idaho, serving the Palouse region of northern Idaho and eastern Washington across communities including Lewiston, Pullman, Clarkston, and approximately a dozen smaller towns. The company operates a multi-technology network infrastructure delivering connectivity via fiber-to-the-home (FTTH, up to 1Gbps symmetric), fixed LTE wireless using Telrad Networks equipment (marketed as "FS LTE" with non-line-of-sight capability), and traditional fixed wireless — an architecture developed through successive technology generations from dial-up through DSL, cable, and wireless to gigabit fiber. FSI also offers FSVoice VoIP phone service, SLING TV as a resold content layer, EdgeWave ePrism email security, business/home/multi-tenant networking solutions, cabling contractor services, and a web services portfolio including website development, dedicated hosting, graphic design, and SEO. Revenue is generated primarily through recurring monthly subscriptions ($50/month for Fiber 100Mbps; $75/month for Fiber 1Gbps and LTE 20/3Mbps), with LTE customer-premises equipment retained by FSI at $0 cost to subscribers and professional installation bundled into the service.
Customers are predominantly residential and small-to-medium businesses, supplemented by multi-tenant unit (apartment complex) bulk accounts and a long tail of web services clients. GTM is sales-led and direct-to-consumer, relying on toll-free and local phone sales, website signup forms with sales-rep follow-up, and on-site professional installation by company technicians. Marketing channels include the fsr.com website, Facebook organic presence, and direct phone outreach. No external funding, parent company, M&A, or institutional ownership is disclosed; the business is owner-operated with 11–50 employees and reports serving "thousands of customers" across its growing regional network.
First Step Internet firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- First Step Internet
- Legal name
- First Step Internet
- Website
- https://fsr.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Independent private regional ISP serving the Palouse region of northern Idaho and eastern Washington since 1994, offering fiber-to-the-home, fixed LTE, wireless, VoIP, and networking services to residential and business customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
First Step Internet industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Internet Service Provider
- NAICS
- Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (51711), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fiber ISPs (FTTH/FTTP Retail Providers) (HDAIADAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Residential/Broadband ISPs (Consumer Internet) (HDAIADAA), Wireless ISPs (WISPs) & Fixed Wireless Access Providers (HDAIADAD), Business/Enterprise Fixed Connectivity Providers (SME/Enterprise Broadband) (HDAIABAI)
Keywords
Where First Step Internet is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Moscow
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
First Step Internet business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Internet Connectivity Services: Monthly subscription revenue from LTE, wireless, and fiber internet services. Customers pay recurring fees for internet access with various speed tiers available.
- LTE Equipment Rental Model: FSI retains ownership of all LTE installed equipment. Equipment is provided at $0 cost to customer with monthly service fee, creating a hardware-as-a-service model where customer does not own equipment.
- VoIP Phone Service (FSVoice): Voice over IP phone service providing additional recurring revenue stream alongside internet connectivity.
- Web Design and Hosting Services: Website development, dedicated hosting, graphic design, and SEO services offered as additional revenue streams.
- Networking Services: Business networking, home networking, multi-tenant networking, cabling, and contractor services generating professional services and project-based revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Fiber Ultimate - 1Gbps unlimited |
| Subscription | Monthly | Fiber Pro - 100Mbps |
| Subscription | Monthly | LTE - 20Mbps/3Mbps |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
First Step Internet product offering
Product offeringCore offering
First Step Internet is a regional internet service provider delivering broadband connectivity across the Palouse region of northern Idaho and eastern Washington via fixed LTE wireless, fiber-to-the-home (FTTH), and traditional fixed wireless networks. The company sells monthly internet subscriptions, VoIP phone service (FSVoice), business and residential networking solutions, cabling, and ancillary web services including website development, hosting, graphic design, and SEO.
Product overview
First Step Internet is a regional internet service provider offering a comprehensive suite of connectivity and technology services. The core offerings include Fiber Internet (gigabit fiber optic connectivity), LTE wireless service (fixed 4G broadband for rural areas), and traditional Wireless Internet. Voice services include FSVoice VoIP phone and SLING TV streaming. The company also provides networking solutions for businesses, homes, and multi-tenant properties, plus web services including website development, dedicated hosting, graphic design, and SEO. All services are backed by EdgeWave email security for spam and malware protection.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- FSVoice: VoIP phone service offered by First Step Internet
- FS LTE
- EdgeWave
Products and services
- Fiber Internet Gigabit fiber optic internet service delivering up to 1Gbps symmetric speeds to residential and business customers across Idaho and Washington communities in the Palouse region. Includes free installation, free router, no taxes or hidden fees, and no contract requirements.
- FS LTE (Fixed LTE Wireless Internet) Fixed LTE wireless broadband providing 4G internet connectivity for residential and business customers in rural areas, with up to 20Mbps download speeds, no data caps, $0 equipment and installation cost, and non-line-of-sight performance.
- Wireless Internet High-speed wireless internet connectivity service for residential and business customers in the Palouse region.
- FSVoice (VoIP Phone Service) Voice over IP (VoIP) phone service delivering voice communications over the company's internet connections for residential and business subscribers.
- Business Networking Networking solutions for business customers including network design, implementation, and management services.
- Home Networking Networking setup and configuration services for residential customers.
- Multi-Tenant Networking Networking services for multi-tenant buildings and apartment complexes, including bulk internet and dedicated fiber infrastructure.
- Apartment Sign-Up Service Internet service installation and signup service for apartment complexes and multi-family residential buildings in the Palouse region.
- Website Development Custom website design and development services for businesses and individuals.
- Dedicated Hosting Dedicated server hosting services for websites and applications requiring dedicated resources.
- Graphic Design Services Graphic design services for web and print materials.
- Search Engine Optimization SEO services to improve website visibility and search engine rankings.
Companies that use First Step Internet
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
First Step Internet technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
First Step Internet partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Telrad NetworkscoreTelrad Networks is described as the world's leader in fixed LTE deployment. First Step Internet uses Telrad equipment for their FS LTE service, which enables high-capacity 4G broadband as a last-mile residential and business internet solution.
- EdgeWavecoreEdgeWave ePrism Email Security Suite protects First Step Internet customers from SPAM and email viruses. EdgeWave provides cloud computing services for filtering email spam and malware before delivery to clients' mail servers, with optional email archiving and web-borne malware protection.
- SLING TVminorSLING TV is offered as a television streaming service option for First Step Internet customers, providing access to streaming TV content through the company's internet service.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
First Step Internet competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Starlink (SpaceX): LEO satellite broadband service from SpaceX targeting rural and underserved customers with improving speeds and lower latency. Increasingly competitive with fixed wireless and rural ISPs in low-density markets like those served by First Step.
- HughesNet: Geostationary satellite broadband service with long-standing rural customer base. Competes for residential internet customers in remote areas where terrestrial broadband is limited or unavailable, overlapping with First Step's core rural market.
Direct peers
- Ziply Fiber: Major fiber ISP serving the Pacific Northwest including Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and Montana. Directly competes with First Step in many of the same small-town and rural markets with active fiber-to-the-home build-outs.
- Ptera: Regional WISP and fiber ISP headquartered in Liberty Lake, Washington, serving rural Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho. Closely comparable in customer profile, technology mix (fixed wireless + fiber), and target geography to First Step.
- PocketiNet Communications: Regional fiber and fixed wireless ISP based in Spokane, Washington. Similar size and target market to First Step, serving residential and business customers in Eastern Washington with comparable fiber and wireless offerings.
- NoaNet: Northwest Open Access Network is a Washington-state nonprofit fiber network serving rural communities with wholesale and retail broadband. Operates in similar rural geographies and enables fiber broadband buildouts to underserved areas overlapping First Step's footprint.
Broad incumbents
- Lumen Technologies: Major US telecom (formerly CenturyLink) with significant rural ILEC presence across Idaho and Washington. Offers fiber, DSL, and enterprise connectivity in adjacent markets, providing both direct competition and wholesale options.
- Frontier Communications: National ILEC with rural Pacific Northwest footprint. Following divestiture of its Northwest operations to Ziply Fiber, Frontier retains adjacent rural markets and competes via fiber overbuilds in small-town geographies similar to First Step's service area.
- Spectrum (Charter Communications): Major US cable broadband provider with Pacific Northwest footprint. While not present in the most rural Palouse communities, Spectrum competes for residential and business customers in larger nearby markets like Pullman and Moscow.
- TDS Telecom: Regional ILEC operating across 30+ states including rural Idaho and Washington. Offers residential and business broadband, voice, and managed services in many of the same small markets as First Step, though at substantially larger scale and broader geographic reach.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
First Step Internet social profiles
Digital presenceFirst Step Internet financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
First Step Internet leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
First Step Internet funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
First Step Internet M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about First Step Internet
What does First Step Internet do?
First Step Internet is a regional internet service provider delivering broadband connectivity across the Palouse region of northern Idaho and eastern Washington via fixed LTE wireless, fiber-to-the-home (FTTH), and traditional fixed wireless networks. The company sells monthly internet subscriptions, VoIP phone service (FSVoice), business and residential networking solutions, cabling, and ancillary web services including website development, hosting, graphic design, and SEO.
Is First Step Internet a public or private company?
First Step Internet is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was First Step Internet founded?
First Step Internet was founded in 1994. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is First Step Internet based?
First Step Internet is headquartered in Moscow, United States, in the North America region.
How does First Step Internet make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Internet Connectivity Services are the primary driver. The others are LTE Equipment Rental Model, voIP Phone Service (FSVoice), web Design and Hosting Services and networking Services.
Who are First Step Internet's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Starlink (SpaceX) and HughesNet. Direct peers are Ziply Fiber, Ptera, PocketiNet Communications and NoaNet. Broad incumbents are Lumen Technologies, Frontier Communications, Spectrum (Charter Communications) and TDS Telecom.
Does First Step Internet have an API?
No public API is recorded for First Step Internet.
What industry is First Step Internet in?
First Step Internet's product category is Internet Service Provider. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIADAE, Fiber ISPs (FTTH/FTTP Retail Providers), with a secondary code of HDAIADAA, Residential/Broadband ISPs (Consumer Internet). Its NAICS code is 51711.