Simply Bits

Simply Bits is an independent Internet Service Provider founded in 2004 and based in Tucson, AZ. It offers fixed wireless internet service that can also handle VoIP phone service for home or business. The provider serves approximately 5,000 customers in Southern Arizona. In 2021 Toronto-based Tucows Inc, a global provider of internet services, announced that it was acquiring Simply Bits through its U.S. subsidiary, Ting Internet. As a fiber internet provider, Ting Internet serves select cities in Arizona, California, Colorado, North Carolina, Idaho, Maryland, and Virginia. The acquisition has the potential to allow Simply Bits to add fiber internet service in future.

Fixed wireless internet is a popular broadband service that uses radio waves to send and receive signals. The service uses broadcast towers that are affixed to stationary objects, such as poles, buildings, or towers, to create a wireless network. The internet is sent from the main access point, which is typically supplied with high-speed fiber-optic lines, to individual receivers installed at businesses, campuses and homes.

Fixed wireless refers to wireless devices or systems that operate in fixed locations, such as homes and offices. Fixed wireless devices usually get their electrical power from the utility mains, unlike mobile wireless or portable wireless which tend to be battery-powered.

Fixed wireless internet can be a high-speed, reliable option. It can be used for gaming, streaming, video conferencing, email, and web browsing. To work, the receiver needs to be set up no more than 10-11 miles from the IPS’s tower. You might need actual line-of-sight access between your home and the ground station. Topography like hills or trees can, depending how dense or large these obstructions are, prevent an installation. Weather conditions like rain or fog can impact service so if you live in a wet, foggy location, ask your neighbors if they used fixed wireless and listen to their feedback. In some locations fog “burns off” after early morning hours but in others it can come at all hours. In simple terms water is denser than air so the signal passing through very humid, wet air, can be reduced.

Fixed wireless is generally less expensive, faster, and more reliable than mobile wireless connections but it works just at your location and isn’t portable. Fixed wireless also offers a point-to-point connection, which keeps latency low. By contrast, mobile wireless has a much higher latency because it prioritizes portability over speed.

Simply Bits doesn’t use the promotional tool of introductory pricing as a way of being transparent. You know what your bill is going to be. Plans come with a mesh Wi-Fi setup that it promises will outperform traditional WiFi and extenders.

The company also advertises fax service. Faxes were a game-changing technology in many offices starting in the pre-digital era of the 1980s. A scanned image of a document was transmitted instantly by a phone line to a receiving machine at the destination.

Simply Bits plans don’t have data caps or require a contract. There are no hidden fees. These are three good reasons to look into service from Simply Bits but there’s more. The monthly pricing on plans isn’t an incentivized rate for a period after which your bill could skyrocket as is the case with some traditional cable companies. The idea is to avoid confusing people and to help them budget effectively.

Simply Bits has a sensible menu of plans and pricing. A standard fixed wireless plan is about $75 per month. If you live in Southern Arizona and are looking for service, reach out to Simply Bits directly with your address to review plan options. You can also explore your options directly with Ting Internet in case your location is one served by the parent company.