In 1995 there was no Internet service in Smyth County, or immediate surrounding areas. Michael Perdue (SmythNet owner) had a vision to bring the Internet to Smyth County so a brief partnership was formed with a local business man for a few months, but Michael decided to start a business on his own. In the fall of 1996 we had a store front and equipment to begin offering Internet service through the phone, called dial-up which proved to be problematic and slower than what our customers wanted and needed. After a time, he began to research a new technology called “wireless” Internet and very slowly acquired few items to test the system. The wireless network is a complex system of equipment from the primary servers, to antennas, to the towers, and equipment on the towers, to the end user. Today wireless Internet service is the primary focus of SmythNet with more than 13 towers and plans are to add more to serve rural areas.