• WilloWeb Media Relations
  • No Comments

How baking pizza saved the mind of a startup executive
How baking pizza saved the mind of a startup executive 150 150 WilloWeb Media Relations

WilloWeb’s Media Team: Hi, tell us a bit about you, name and what you do at WilloWeb.

Max: Hi, my name is Max Cascino, actually Massimiliano is my real Italian name. I moved from Milan, Italy in 2014 and came in as cofounder of WilloWeb around February of 2015. I started using Max as a preferred name since. It was easier to be pronounced here.
I’m currently covering the role of Chief Technology Officer and running the company together with Doug, CEO and original founder of WilloWeb.

WilloWeb’s Media Team: How is social distancing affecting your work routine?

Max: Great question. Covering the role of CTO of WilloWeb makes me responsible for everything “tech” in the company. From our network that connects our customers to the Internet, to all the systems that support our company to the technology vision of where WilloWeb will be in the next years.
We are pretty small compared to the tech giants of the Silicon Valley, so our organization is pretty flat, but I don’t do all of this alone. I have a very talented team that helps me achieve the goals we set.
I used to work from home before the shelter-in-place order. You know, it was different, you chose to work from home for different reasons and also your daughter is not home with you craving attention. So, yes, it has changed, and it took a while to adapt, to not be able to just walk to my teammates desk or have a quick convo to bounce off business ideas with Doug or quickly grab a coffee together with the team and get casual for a moment.

WilloWeb’s Media Team: Right, you have a 1year old, how has it been to have her home with you while working?

Max: Well yeah, my wife and I decided to keep her home from day care to limit the spread of Covid19 few weeks before the shelter-in-place would pass because having all my family in the heavy hit city of Milan, we knew that we were going to be in the same situation here. I have to say, it’s been challenging and still is. My wife was in between jobs and this helped a little since she could take some time off while transitioning.
We both had video call meetings with our daughter on our lap. It’s not ideal but it’s been fun in some ways.
When you realize that we are all in the same situation, it’s different. Everybody understands it, and in some way I believe that this has brought our community closer even if we have to stay at least 6ft from one another. On some topics like the balance between family and work we had the chance to see firsthand how difficult it is to take care of your family while working from home.

WilloWeb’s Media Team: Do you feel productivity has been impacted?

Max: Well, we had worked from home before. The real challenge was now doing it with lot more stress and distraction, because now I’m working from home and everybody is home with me if you have a family (or housemates) so I’d say yes productivity went down the first 10days or so. I believe it was pretty the same for everybody at WilloWeb. We were kinda expecting it. Nobody really had time to plan for this, so we knew we had to adjust.
The majority of the challenges came from not being able to focus for long time. I get distracted continuously because everybody is home. For example the dog wants attentions, my daughter wants to play or brings me a book to read, or I see my wife and I ask her something trivial that usually I would have waited till I got home to probably ask or talk about. Or a package comes in, the dog goes crazy, my family from Italy calls because they know we are home…
So, yeah, productivity went down, but we started to set boundaries, we started to give structure to our days. We did it from the basics like setting a routing for our daughter, do the same for the dog, get yourself ready by a certain time in the morning (instead of struggling to find a time for a shower) and now it’s a lot better.

WilloWeb’s Media Team: What about morale?

Max: That’s been, and it still is the real challenge. How do you keep the morale high in a global pandemic? we try to think that what we are doing at WilloWeb is helping a lot of people doing their jobs from home, taking their exams and completing their school assignments. Just yesterday I read a Yelp review that one of our customers living in the Almaden hills wrote and I immediately sent it to my team. It really cheered us up, they were saying that without WilloWeb she and her husband couldn’t do telemedicine and their kids could not do remote schooling because Comcast asked them $11,000 to bring cable and AT&T only had 1-3Mbits options (that for the records it’s barely enough to stream a video at mediocre quality). (Ed. You can read the review here)

WilloWeb’s Media Team: Going back to work-life balance, what have you been doing to unwind?

Max: Well, as we can see from Instagram everybody has started to do a lot of cooking and I haven’t been any less too! I started making a lot of pizza. Obviously enough, it is probably my favorite dish… I started experimenting with different flours and techniques. I have a small proper pizza oven that can reach 900F and cooks pizzas in 90seconds. That has been my mental outlet. I find it very relaxing and when you are at it you can’t think of something else, you need to be focused on working the dough, put it in the oven, make sure it cooks perfectly. Then serve  and, repeat!

WilloWeb’s Media Team: Wow, 90seconds, like a real pizzeria!

Max: Exactly! and my daughter loves pizza of course so, whenever she says “pizza!” in the morning, it’s enough an excuse for me to make dough for dinner.

WilloWeb’s Media Team: Well, Max, thanks for your time and for sharing this with us. We’ll let you go, I guess you have some pizza on the fire right now!

Max: You are very welcome, take care and stay safe!

 

  • WilloWeb Media Relations
  • No Comments

WilloWeb delivers 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), to Willow Glen neighborhood.
WilloWeb delivers 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), to Willow Glen neighborhood. 1080 718 WilloWeb Media Relations

San Jose, CA – WilloWeb, Inc. is proud to announce that it has completed the delivery of 5G Fixed Wireless Access Internet connectivity in the Willow Glen neighborhood of San Jose, CA, by successfully terminating the pilot deployment along Lincoln Ave. between Willow St. and Minnesota Ave.

One of WilloWeb’s customers, Dolce Sicilia, a delightful Southern Italian bakery and cafe in the heart of Willow Glen writes: “Prior to engaging with WilloWeb, we experienced very sporadic TV and audio service (from a well known provider). Thanks to WilloWeb, we now have consistent video and audio throughout our café, while also offering complimentary WiFi to our customers. Everyone wins!”

WilloWeb has been testing this technology with some beta customers for three months before starting to sell it to the public. It can now deliver rock solid, low latency, multi-gigabit Internet connectivity to all the businesses in the Willow Glen strip and residents in the area. Soon it will be available in many parts of the South Bay where WilloWeb has increased its presence in the past year.

“We started this company because people were looking for an alternative to the mega duopolies and there weren’t any. We realized we could impact positively with people and businesses, by delivering simply fast Internet, and you know, wireless was the quickest way to deploy that” said WilloWeb’s CEO and Founder Doug Soden, “the technology though, when we started, was very different from what we have now, it blows my mind to see the huge steps wireless has made over the years allowing us to now compete even with fiber providers. Especially now, we want to accelerate the rollout of our services in order to help all of us during these unusual times. We are in uncharted territory, the services and technologies that we deliver, can keep people connected and the economy going for as many people as possible.”

Fixed Wireless rollouts have proven to be many times quicker than fiber and WilloWeb wants to bring Internet everywhere it is needed.

About WilloWeb, Inc.

WilloWeb started delivering Internet in late 2014, giving downtown San Jose, CA high-rise residents a better, hassle free, faster alternative to the old cable and DSL providers. We enabled early adopters to participate in the cord-cutting movement, which now has become mainstream. Today, we have expanded further through the South Bay winning in every type of deployment, from the dense-urban high rise to the rural-underserved canyons of the Santa Cruz mountains through the forgotten urban pockets made of business parks with almost non-existent Internet connectivity.

WilloWeb has made a name for itself thanks to its incredible and committed Customer Support Team that goes above and beyond to make sure its subscribers can enjoy the most from their Internet connection with no hassle.

We provide direct Internet access at industrial speeds 10-100 times faster than cable and traditional broadband providers. We are committed to always deliver Simply Fast Internet, anywhere, anytime. Unlike most of our competitors we own and operate our Ethernet Network. You can sign up here to check availability of our service to your location.

Press Contacts

WilloWeb Media Relations
media@willoweb.net
+1 408 995 5000
www.willoweb.net/contact-us

  • WilloWeb Media Relations
  • No Comments

A Letter From Our CEO, Doug Soden about business operations during “Shelter in Place”
A Letter From Our CEO, Doug Soden about business operations during “Shelter in Place” 4608 3072 WilloWeb Media Relations

Dear Clients, Partners, Colleagues, and Friends,

By now we are all aware of the quickly changing landscape of COVID-19. As we navigate through this uncharted territory, we at WilloWeb are doing everything we can to keep our team safe and our network operating smoothly.

We understand how important Internet connectivity is, and as we work through the challenges ahead it will become imperative to have fast, secure, and reliable connections. I want to assure you that we will continue to be accessible through phone, email, trouble tickets, and if needed, critical field visits. Our team is fully engaged in the daily operations, and the network is monitored 24/7. I want to remind all of you if support is needed, we can be reached at 408-995-5000, support@willoweb.net or through our website through the Contact Us section and the Support section.

We are monitoring all updates and following the recommendations provided by our local and state officials. Our main goal is to serve you while keeping our staff and community safe. We are all in this together so please know, the WilloWeb team is here for you.

Please be safe!

Doug Soden
CEO / Founder
WilloWeb, Inc.

Super Bowl
  • Doug Soden
  • No Comments

How to Stream the Super Bowl 54 in 2020
How to Stream the Super Bowl 54 in 2020 800 532 Doug Soden

Trying to figure out how to stream the Super Bowl 54?

We get it, we can’t wait to watch the 49ers crush the Chiefs too. The good news is that it has gotten a lot easier for Football-loving cord-cutters to watch sports online without having a cable TV subscription is easier than ever. But it can be overwhelming to sort through all the streaming services available and hard to know just where to start.

Most people are looking to figure out how to watch the Super Bowl for free. If that’s you, know that you will be able to find it on YouTube, Reddit, Facebook, and Twitter if you have a profile on one of those services. But keep in mind, they’re only providing a live stream of the game and it’s pretty raw. In our opinion, that’s not the best way to stream the game.

If you’re looking for high-quality broadcasting and want to see the details of the best plays of the game, you’re going to want to go with a paid, subscription-based service. You truly do get what you pay for and, considering the 49ers are in the Super Bowl this year, it’s the year to do this thing right.

Below are what we think are the best options out there for streaming this year’s big game. The other major consideration is Internet speed as there’s nothing worse than the game freezing in the middle of a decisive play (so annoying). But more on that later.

The Top Ways to Stream the Super Bowl 54:

  • Sling TV

    Cost: $20 for the first month then $30
    Our assessment: For the price, this is the best service on the market today. It’s no wonder a lot of people are moving to Sling TV. It doesn’t have the flashiest interface, but it’s dependable and offers a lot of channels for a very fair price. Definitely one to consider, especially if you’re looking to save some cash.

  • YouTubeTV

    Cost:$49.99 per month (free 5 day trial)
    Our assessment: YouTubeTV is a great alternative to Hulu (they’re the two most popular cable TV alternatives out there today). YouTube’s impressive lineup of sports networks is what attracts most people. But their user interface is also very intuitive (in our opinion) and it too is available on most devices. And the five bucks a month in savings certainly doesn’t hurt. This is our go-to option if you’re looking for an alternative to cable TV.

  • Hulu with Live TV 

    Cost: $54.99 per month (first month is free)
    Our assessment: Aside from being able to stream the Super Bowl, Hulu is a great option in that there is an awesome selection of TV series and movies that come with it – so you’ll have lots to watch after the game is over. It’s also integrated with almost every streaming device which is very convenient. The only drawback is that you have to pay more for Hulu with Live TV. Live broadcasts like the Super Bowl aren’t available on Hulu’s On-Demand plans. While a great option, it’s not our top choice.

  • FuboTV

    Cost: $55 for the first month (free 7 day trial)
    Our assessment: Across most platforms, FuboTV has a great user experience – it’s maybe lesser known compared to the other platforms but it’s another great option. The subscription includes Regional Sports Networks so this is a good option for sports fans looking to watch the Super Bowl. That said, this platform does not come with ESPN channels, which could be a deal breaker.

Don’t Forget… Fast Internet Speed is Essential:

While you’re considering your streaming options, you should also consider your current Internet speed (which you can test here). This will be the first year that you’ll be able to watch the Super Bowl in 4k resolution – more than twice as much detail as with traditional 1080p.

If you’re committed to watching the game in 4k, keep in mind that you’re also going to need a screen capable of displaying that much resolution. Most modern televisions are capable of handling that much detail, but you should check your screen to be sure. It could be time for an upgrade.

But the biggest consideration here, even if you’re ok with watching the game in 1080p, is your Internet speed. You’re going to need a fast Internet connection (more than 40 Mbps, or “megabytes per second”). This is something you should consider in advance of the big day as there’s nothing worse than watching the Internet lag behind the game’s best moments.

Upgrading to a faster Internet speed will also make it easier for multiple family members to be using the Internet at the same time. The kids could be watching something on Disney Plus while you enjoy the game in the other room, without sacrificing image quality or load times. So, upgrading to a faster Internet connection goes beyond being able to stream the Super Bowl in 4k – it’s about making it work better for your family.

Time to upgrade your Internet provider?

We’re here to help. Our residential basic package starts at only $68 and will bring you up to 200 Mbps for both downloading and uploading speeds. Upgrading with us will make streaming the Super Bowl and having multiple family members use the Internet at the same time totally doable – our service is just that fast.

Reach out to schedule an appointment today and we can share more in person or over the phone.

Go 9’ers!

Enter your
text here