In fall 2006 we were looking for a way to equip our inspectors with an always on “high-speed” internet connection in the field. We were planning on getting them setup on ruggedized tablets, so they could complete checklists about various construction tasks that were customized for each home. This would be used to not only track the progress of homes, but fully automate the production process. When one checklist was finished for a home, a checklist for the next construction task would be created and would show up on another inspector’s tablet. We would also be able to tie email notifications to give our trade partners a heads up when it was almost time for them to be involved with a home, and use them to allow inspectors to approve payment for materials and labor out in the field. So with all this, we really put a lot of effort trying to make it work.
During this time in Lubbock, the data service available from cell phone companies was extremely slow (around 56Kbps), which would was too slow for what we were hoping to do. At first we were thinking about writing an application that could run online or offline, and when it came into a hot spot it would sync up with the live database. The inspectors are away from the office all day, so we thought about creating a mesh wireless G network that completely covered some of our larger communities. This turned out to be pretty expensive for outdoor equipment, and seriously sounded pretty hinky. So when someone told us about a new company named Xanadoo that might be able to help us out, we were all about it.
I called Xanadoo, and they sent one of their top people in the area (I think he was also a stakeholder in the company) to the office to talk with me. I explained what we were trying to do, pointed out the locations of our major communities, and they assured me they would be able to provide us with the service we were looking for. They said their service should be able to provide our guys with a connection anywhere in Lubbock County, which seems more than adequate. They could provide small wireless modems that received a signal from unidirectional antennas around town. In fact, they were so confident they wanted to sale me a few of their modems right then. I told them I would like to get a complementary modem to test with first, and it took them a couple weeks to get one to me.
Since they were so confident this would work, I moved forward with developing this solution. When I finally got the modem, our system admin and I hooked it up to a laptop and decided to drive around town and see what kind of connection we could get. Needless to say we were a little surprised. I had got them to point out a few places locations of their unidirectional antennas, and we drove near one and were able to get a connection. However, if we were ½ a mile or more away from the tower (or directly below it) the connection was either unreliable or non-existent. Their service didn’t even get close to covering the city of Lubbock, much less Lubbock County. We thought we might have had a faulty unit or be trying to use it incorrectly, so we went to their offices on 82nd St and talked to an employee. We told them we were having some trouble getting a signal, and we couldn’t even get one in their parking lot. They acted surprised, and said of course we weren’t getting a signal there … there is never a signal out there. What?
It turned out we were doing everything right, and their service simply didn’t match up with what they claimed. We tried a few external antennas, but eventually abandoned the idea after we couldn’t get the Xanadoo office to return our phone calls.
I can’t say how disappointed I am with Xanadoo. A few friends have asked me if they should try Xanadoo, and I always give them an emphatic “NO.” Not only do they have subpar service, but they also chose to flat-out lie about what their service could do even when they were fully aware they were not telling the truth. Thinking back, on the original visit the rep claimed one of their current clients was using a modem in a vehicle all the way from Wolfforth. That is physically impossible with unidirectional antennas at that distance, so that must have also been a lie.
I have heard some people say they had an decent experience with them, but people’s experience seem to vary wildly based on how close to the antenna they were and what obstacles there was between them. If there was any other type of data service you could get, I would definitely try it … I might even opt for dial-up instead of the horrible service and experience I had with Xanadoo.