Our Mission & History
Vistabeam is a pioneering wireless service provider with coverage that spans 40,000 sq miles across three states and 100 towns. We installed our first customer in May of 2004. Before that, Matt Larsen, CEO of Vistabeam, set up one of the first dialup Internet providers in Wyobraska in 1997 and introduced wireless Internet access in 2000 through his company Scottsbluff Networx. Vistabeam’s roots in the Midwest run long and deep. Providing great Internet service to the residents and businesses of the Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming area has always been our primary goal.
Vistabeam's mission is to create honest, resilient and sustainable connectivity.
Completed deployment in the first Vistabeam Fiber town in Chappell, Nebraska. Started construction on fiber town deployments in Mitchell and Morrill, Nebraska. Added advanced wireless service through Tarana fixed wireless systems along the Front Range of Colorado and other locations in Vistabeam service area. Acquired the customers and infrastructure of Airbits in Estes Park, Colorado. Opened the first Vistabeam Empowerment Centers in Torrington, Wyoming and Yuma, Colorado.
Installed Tarana and cnWave advanced gigabit-capable fixed wireless systems in Torrington, Wyoming. Rebuilt core network foundation in Denver and added multiple 10GB fiber feeds to Denver data center. Created the outline for the Vistabeam Empowerment Centers. Constructed Vistabeam’s first fiber town in Chappell, Nebraska. Acquired the customers and infrastructure of Front Range Internet, Inc (FRII), adding six infrastructure sites around the Front Range of Colorado. Acquired the customers and tower assets of Raicom, adding ten infrastructure sites in Southwest Nebraska to the Vistabeam network.
Completed Wyoming CARES Act projects, including 16 new towers in Wyoming serving Centennial, Glendo, Glenrock, Guernsey, Hartville, Hawk Springs, Jay Em, Lance Creek, Laramie, Lusk and Manville. Deployed CBRS access points to enable service in non-line-of-sight conditions. Participated in the Emergency Broadband Benefit program. Expanded in-house capabilities and erected towers, performed directional boring and overhead fiber deployment. Migrated residential customers to faster plans and eliminated slower legacy plans. Designed fiber-to-the-home deployment for Chappell, Nebraska. Acquired the broadband customers of Action Communications, adding 30+ infrastructure sites around Western Nebraska and Eastern Wyoming to the Vistabeam footprint.
Added fiber connectivity in Lusk and introduced new Freedom Spectrum plans in Niobrara County, Wyoming. Completed a fiber backhaul network between data center in Gering, Nebraska, and Torrington, Wyoming. Joined the Microsoft Airband program to improve broadband service in rural areas. Announced as a winner in the Rural Digital Opportunities Fund auction for locations in Platte County, Wyoming. Successful completion of CARES Act funded broadband grants in Nebraska for Banner, Chase, Cheyenne, Deuel, Garden, Kimball, Morrill, Perkins and Scotts Bluff Counties. Started on CARES Act funded broadband grant projects in Wyoming for Albany, Converse, Goshen, Niobrara and Platte Counties.
Continued major backbone and access point upgrades in Albany, Platte, Natrona and Goshen Counties in Wyoming; Jackson, Logan, Washington and Yuma Counties in Colorado; and Banner, Chase, Cheyenne, Deuel, Morrill and Scotts Bluff Counties in Nebraska. Deployed new Citizens Broadband Radio Service distribution points with Non-Line-Of-Sight capability to serve more customers. Introduced new Freedom Spectrum plans for customers in upgraded areas.
Completed major backbone and access point upgrades for Scotts Bluff County in Nebraska and Goshen County in Wyoming. Named 2018 Provider of the Year at the Mountain Connect Broadband Conference. Announced as a winner in the Connect America Fund Phase II Auction and as a result will offer broadband service to 1692 currently unserved locations in Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming. Introduced new VistabeamHD high capacity connections for commercial customers.
Turned up fiber network between Gering, Mitchell and Morrill, Nebraska. Opened remote office in Torrington, Wyoming. Announced the Freedom Spectrum plan, 50Mb for $50/month. Acquired the wireless operations of Chase 3000, adding the towns of Ogallala, Grant, Venango, Madrid, Elsie, Imperial and Wauneta, Nebraska and Holyoke, Colorado.
Acquired the wireless operation of Premier Systems, adding the towns of Akron, Otis, Yuma, Wray, Idalia and Eckley in Colorado. Opened a remote office in Yuma, Colorado. Turned up fiber backbone along I- 25 in Wyoming and Colorado with connections in Denver, Chugwater, Douglas and Casper.
Acquired DiscoverIT customers in Scottsbluff and Gering.
Turned on fiber backbone in Colorado to the towns of Sterling, Akron, Yuma, Wray, Burlington, Flagler and Cheyenne Wells. Established colocation in Denver and interconnection with multiple networks. Awarded a grant from the Nebraska Broadband Pilot Program to upgrade facilities in the Nebraska Panhandle.
Deployed the first “Cowboy Tower” portable towers in Wyoming.
Expanded to Alliance, Nebraska.
Vistabeam acquires the wireless operation of Sterling Computer Center, adding the towns of Sterling, Iliff, Fleming and Atwood in Colorado.
Vistabeam named 2010 WISPA Operator of the Year. Acquired Sundance Wireless, adding the towns of Casper, Evansville, Glenrock and Douglas in Wyoming.
Expanded service to Hartville, Hawk Springs, Yoder, Medicine Bow, Rock River and Hanna in Wyoming. Awarded grant from the Nebraska Internet Enhancement Fund to deliver service in Perkins, Kimball and Banner Counties in Nebraska.
Acquired DG Wireless, serving Dalton and Gurley. Started offering service to Lodgepole and Chappell.
Moved to current location at 1225 Sage Street in Gering, Nebraska and merged with High Plains Networx, expanding service area to Laramie, Wyoming
Moved to current location at 1225 Sage Street in Gering, Nebraska and merged with High Plains Networx, expanding service area to Laramie, Wyoming
Changed trade name to Vistabeam. Built a 120 mile microwave path from Scottsbluff, Nebraska to Laramie, Wyoming to consolidate Internet backbone traffic.
Begins delivering wireless Internet service as Skybeam from towers in Gering, Minatare and Torrington. Top speed plan was 1Meg down/512Kb up.