PWR-net Broadband

Rural Wireless Broadbandpwr-net.coop

PWR-net Broadband is a rural Illinois fixed wireless Internet service provider operated by Shelby Electric Cooperative since 2008, delivering line-of-sight Cambium broadband (1–15 Mbps) to residential households and small businesses across the cooperative's service territory.

Company typePrivate
Founded2008
HeadquartersShelbyville, United States
Headcount1–10
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What PWR-net Broadband does

PWR-net Broadband is a rural fixed wireless broadband Internet service provider headquartered in Shelbyville, Illinois, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Shelby Electric Cooperative since its launch in 2008. The company delivers line-of-sight wireless broadband using Cambium equipment: outdoor customer premise equipment (CPE) antennas at the subscriber site receive signals from gateway towers, a gig Power over Ethernet (POE) device powers the antenna through the cabling, and a cnPilot router distributes WiFi inside the premises. Four Cambium speed tiers are offered — 1 Mbps ($39.95/month), 4/1 Mbps ($54.95/month), 10/2 Mbps ($69.95/month), and 15/2 Mbps ($99.95/month) — with 24-month service contracts, a $99 one-time installation fee, optional $5/month maintenance plan, $99 router upsell, and 24/7 in-house system monitoring. Coverage extends across approximately 95% of the Shelby Electric Cooperative service territory plus a 10-mile radius around the Oreana, Illinois tower, constrained by line-of-sight requirements.

The revenue model is subscription-recurring at the core, supplemented by installation, maintenance, and equipment fees; the Affordable Connectivity Program previously provided up to $30/month subsidy on three tiers but ended in February 2024 due to lack of Congressional funding. Go-to-market is sales-led, relying on direct phone outreach, a website-based information request form, and a modest organic Facebook presence, with no paid advertising channels identified. The customer base is primarily residential rural households in underserved central Illinois, with secondary small business service via customized business packages. The business faces structural constraints versus fiber and cable competition — a 15 Mbps top speed, terrain-dependent line-of-sight, and small-scale operations — but is insulated by cooperative ownership, established rural infrastructure, and billing integration with Shelby Electric Cooperative's SmartHub platform.

PWR-net Broadband firmographics

Firmographics

Name: PWR-net Broadband
Legal name: PWR-net
Website: https://pwr-net.coop
Company type: Private
Founded year: 2008
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 1–10 employees
Short description: PWR-net Broadband is a rural Illinois fixed wireless Internet service provider operated by Shelby Electric Cooperative since 2008, delivering line-of-sight Cambium broadband (1–15 Mbps) to residential households and small businesses across the cooperative's service territory.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

PWR-net Broadband industry classification

Industry

Product category: Rural Wireless Broadband
NAICS: Wired and Wireless Telecommunications (except Satellite) (5171)
SIC: Communications Equipment, Nec (3669)
akta.pro primary industry: Business/Enterprise ISPs (Dedicated Internet Access) (HDAIADAB)
akta.pro secondary industry: Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) CPE (LTE/5G/mmWave) (HDAFAIAE)

Keywords

Wireless broadband service
Fixed wireless internet
Rural internet provider
Wireless ISP services
Line-of-sight internet

Where PWR-net Broadband is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Shelbyville
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

PWR-net Broadband business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

Monthly Internet Service Subscriptions: Recurring monthly subscription fees for broadband Internet service across four Cambium tier packages ranging from $39.95 to $99.95 per month. Service agreements require 24-month contracts.
Equipment Installation: One-time basic installation charge of $99.00 for equipment and technician installation. Additional charges may apply for mounting poles and trenching services.
Maintenance Plan: Optional monthly maintenance plan for $5 per month covering service calls and repair/replacement of CPE equipment. New CPE costs $479.00 plus tax if replacement needed; service calls are $75.00 per visit.
Router Sales: Standard routers sold for $99.00 plus tax for customers needing wireless connectivity for multiple devices.
Early Termination Fee: Prorated fee for customers who want to terminate their service agreement early, with fee dependent on tenure. Deposits of $100 may also apply for credit-checked customers.
Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) Subsidy: Previously participated in FCC's ACP program providing up to $30/month discount for eligible households. Program ended February 7, 2024 due to lack of Congressional funding.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Subscription	Monthly	1 Mbps basic plan for minimal internet usage
Subscription	Monthly	4/1 Mbps entry-level standard plan
Subscription	Monthly	10/2 Mbps mid-tier plan for moderate usage
Subscription	Monthly	15/2 Mbps highest-tier plan for multiple users
Unit Pricing	Pay-as-you-go	Basic installation package
Subscription	Monthly	Optional maintenance plan
Unit Pricing	Pay-as-you-go	Standard router purchase
Unit Pricing	Pay-as-you-go	Customer deposit

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

PWR-net Broadband product offering

Product offering

Core offering

PWR-net is a fixed wireless broadband Internet service provider delivering always-on connectivity to homes and small businesses in rural Illinois. The service uses line-of-sight wireless technology with Cambium transmission equipment, outdoor customer premise antennas (CPE), and in-home routers. Four speed tiers range from 1 Mbps to 15 Mbps, and the network is operated by in-house technicians with 24/7 system monitoring.

Product overview

PWR-net Broadband is a rural wireless internet service provider operated by Shelby Electric Cooperative, launched in 2008. The company offers a unified wireless broadband service with four Cambium-powered speed tiers (1 Mbps, 4/1 Mbps, 10/2 Mbps, and 15/2 Mbps) targeting residential and business subscribers in underserved rural areas. The service is delivered via line-of-sight wireless technology using outdoor CPE antennas that receive signals from tower gateways. Equipment offerings include the cnPilot Router (standard wireless router), gig Power Over Ethernet (gig POE) device, and optional wireless extenders for coverage expansion. An optional $5/month maintenance plan covers CPE repair/replacement. Business packages are also available. All plans require a 24-month service contract with potential early termination fees. Installation is performed by PWR-net technicians for a one-time fee, with additional costs for specialized needs like trenching.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Wireless Broadband Internet Service Always-on line-of-sight fixed wireless broadband Internet service offering four Cambium-powered speed tiers from 1 Mbps to 15 Mbps download. Designed for residential households in rural Illinois underserved by cable or fiber. Includes 24-month service agreements and on-site technician installation.
Business Internet Packages Customized business-tier internet packages designed for local small businesses within Shelby Electric Cooperative's service area needing reliable Internet for business operations and multiple employee access.
cnPilot Router Standard wireless router that powers the outdoor CPE antenna and creates in-home WiFi distribution for PWR-net subscribers. Sold separately for $99.00 plus tax to customers needing multi-device wireless connectivity.
Maintenance Plan Optional monthly service plan priced at $5 per month that covers service calls and repair/replacement of CPE equipment. Replacement CPE costs $479.00 plus tax if needed; service calls are $75.00 per visit. Does not cover personal routers or operator errors.
Equipment Installation Service On-site installation service performed by PWR-net technicians to install and configure customer premise equipment at the subscriber's property. Basic installation priced at $99.00 with additional charges applying for mounting poles and trenching services.

Companies that use PWR-net Broadband

Customer profile

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

PWR-net Broadband technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature5 records

PWR-net Broadband partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

PWR-net Broadband competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Etheric Networks: Etheric Networks is a fixed wireless ISP delivering broadband to underserved areas, primarily in the San Francisco Bay Area and surrounding regions, using line-of-sight wireless technology comparable to PWR-net's approach.
NextLink Internet: NextLink Internet is a rural-focused fixed wireless ISP operating across multiple U.S. states, often partnering with electric cooperatives and utilizing similar Cambium-class equipment. Its hybrid fiber/fixed-wireless rollout and rural electric-utility relationships closely mirror PWR-net's cooperative-backed model.
Co-Mo Connect: Co-Mo Connect is the broadband subsidiary of Co-Mo Electric Cooperative, providing fiber and fixed wireless broadband to members in central Missouri. It is highly comparable to PWR-net as another electric-cooperative-owned ISP using comparable technology and serving a similar rural member base.
Rise Broadband: Rise Broadband is the largest fixed wireless internet service provider in the U.S., serving rural and underserved markets with comparable Cambium-style fixed wireless technology. It is the closest scaled analog to PWR-net's line-of-sight WISP model and competes head-to-head for the same rural subscriber profile.

Emerging players

Starlink (SpaceX): Starlink delivers satellite-based broadband with 100+ Mbps speeds to rural subscribers nationwide, including in central Illinois. While delivery mechanism differs, Starlink directly competes for the same underserved rural customers PWR-net serves and does not require line-of-sight to a specific tower.
Viasat: Viasat is a satellite broadband provider with established rural distribution in Illinois. While PWR-net's fixed wireless offers lower latency, Viasat competes for the same rural residential customers who cannot get terrestrial broadband and offers wider availability than a line-of-sight WISP.
HughesNet: HughesNet is a satellite internet service provider with long-standing rural residential coverage across Illinois. Like Starlink and Viasat, it is an alternative for rural customers where PWR-net's line-of-sight requirements cannot be met, making it a substitute rather than direct technology peer.

Broad incumbents

Frontier Communications: Frontier is a large incumbent telco actively expanding fiber-to-the-home across rural Illinois, including markets adjacent to Shelby Electric's territory. Frontier is a broader incumbent but overlaps directly with PWR-net in serving underserved rural and small-town Illinois broadband customers.
T-Mobile Home Internet: T-Mobile's 5G fixed wireless home internet product offers 100+ Mbps in many rural and small-town markets across Illinois. As a national carrier with massive scale advantages, it competes for the same residential broadband customers PWR-net targets but with materially higher speeds and bundled mobile incentives.
Consolidated Communications: Consolidated Communications is a regional incumbent telco delivering DSL and expanding fiber broadband across central and southern Illinois. It competes with PWR-net for rural broadband subscribers within overlapping Illinois service areas, though via wireline rather than wireless technology.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

PWR-net Broadband financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

PWR-net Broadband leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

PWR-net Broadband funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

PWR-net Broadband M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about PWR-net Broadband

What does PWR-net Broadband do?

Is PWR-net Broadband a public or private company?

PWR-net Broadband is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.

When was PWR-net Broadband founded?

PWR-net Broadband was founded in 2008. It employs 1 to 10 people.

Where is PWR-net Broadband based?

PWR-net Broadband is headquartered in Shelbyville, United States, in the North America region.

How does PWR-net Broadband make money?

Six revenue lines are on record. Monthly Internet Service Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are equipment Installation, maintenance Plan, router Sales, early Termination Fee and affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) Subsidy.

Who are PWR-net Broadband's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Etheric Networks, NextLink Internet, Co-Mo Connect and Rise Broadband. Emerging players are Starlink (SpaceX), Viasat and HughesNet. Broad incumbents are Frontier Communications, T-Mobile Home Internet and Consolidated Communications.

Does PWR-net Broadband have an API?

No public API is recorded for PWR-net Broadband.

What industry is PWR-net Broadband in?

PWR-net Broadband's product category is Rural Wireless Broadband. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIADAB, Business/Enterprise ISPs (Dedicated Internet Access), with a secondary code of HDAFAIAE, Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) CPE (LTE/5G/mmWave). Its NAICS code is 5171 and its SIC code is 3669.