What Is an Internet Reseller? How We Sell a Big Network Under a Small Name

Here is a sentence most internet companies would never put on their website: we do not own the network. We do not own a single tower. We have never climbed one. We would not know where to clip the harness.

Beakom is a reseller. We buy wholesale access to a national wireless network and sell it under our own name, with our own rules. This post explains what that means, why it is a normal and long established way to run a telecom business, and what you should check before buying from any reseller, including us.

What a reseller is

Building a nationwide wireless network costs an enormous amount of money. Only a handful of companies have done it. Those network owners sell access in bulk to other companies at wholesale rates.

The companies that buy that access and sell service to the public are resellers. In the mobile phone world they are often called MVNOs, which stands for mobile virtual network operator. "Virtual" is the polite word for "does not own the towers." Many prepaid and budget phone brands work exactly this way.

We do the same thing for internet. The network belongs to a major national carrier. The modem, the plan, the price, the policies, and the support belong to us.

Think store brand

With a store brand, the difference is the box, the price, and who you complain to.

Reselling is similar, with one twist. The part we changed is not the box art. It is the rules. The network owner decides how a network is built. The reseller decides who gets to buy, what it costs, what the contract looks like, and how you get treated. Those happen to be the parts people hate about big telecom.

What we control and what we do not

The network owner controls:

• The towers and where they are.
• Coverage: where there is signal and where there is not.
• Maintenance, upgrades, and repairs to the network.

We control:

• The price. $74.99 for Residential, $149.99 for Business. No promotional period, so no price that jumps later.
• Who qualifies. Everyone with a $100 refundable deposit. No credit check. No address eligibility check.
• The terms. Month to month. No contract, no activation fee, no equipment fee.
• The hardware. We ship a modem with the SIM already inside. Free to use while you subscribe.
• Where you can use it. Anywhere with signal. The modem is portable, and we do not tie it to an address.
• Support. When you contact us, you get us. Not the carrier.
• The exit. Cancel from your account, no call required.

So whose network is it?

We are not going to say. We keep the network owner's name out of our marketing. What we can tell you is that it is a major national network with nationwide coverage, and that the modem works wherever that network has signal.

Yes, we are a reseller. No, we will not say whose. It is the one secret we keep, and we put it in the footer of every page so at least we are upfront about being cagey.

Why a reseller can offer different rules

A fair question: if the big carriers own the network, why can a small company offer terms they do not?

Because we are a different kind of business with different priorities.

• We do not run install trucks. There is nothing to install. The modem ships to your door and you turn it on.
• We do not run a retention department. There is no promotional rate to defend and no contract to enforce, so there is nobody whose job is to talk you out of leaving.
• We have two plans. No bundles, no tiers, no add ons.
• We chose a deposit instead of a credit check. It is one flat rule for everyone.
• We sell one thing. Portable internet. We are not trying to move you into a phone plan, a TV package, and a streaming bundle.

The big carriers sell home internet as a fixed address product, commonly with an address check and a credit check. We sell a portable product with neither. Same kind of network underneath, different product on top. We compare the two in portable internet vs home internet.

Is buying from a reseller risky?

It can be, if you do not check a few things. Resellers vary a lot. Here is what to look at before buying from any of them.

1. Do they admit to being one? A reseller pretending to own a network is starting the relationship with a fib.
2. Is the price the price? Look for promotional periods, activation fees, and equipment charges.
3. What are the hardware terms? Do you buy the device, rent it, or borrow it? What happens to it when you cancel? What does it cost if it is not returned?
4. How do you cancel? Online, or by phone during business hours after a hold?
5. Is there a real business behind it? A physical address, a phone number, published policies, and a way to reach a human.
6. Do they promise coverage everywhere? Nobody has coverage everywhere. Anyone who says so is selling.
7. What happens if it does not work for you? Look for a clear path to leave and get your money back.

Our answers to that checklist

1. We say it on every page, in the footer, and in this post.
2. $74.99 or $149.99. No promotional period, no activation fee, no equipment fee. Free shipping.
3. The modem is ours and free to use. A $100 refundable deposit is held at checkout. Return the modem within 30 days of cancelling and the deposit comes back within 10 business days of arrival. If it does not come back, or comes back broken, $150 is billed to the card on file. We disclose that before purchase, at checkout, and on every receipt. Details in the modem deposit, explained.
4. From the Customer Center, any day, no call. See how cancelling works.
5. Our address and phone number are on the contact information page, and our policies are published in the footer of every page.
6. We do not promise that. Service works wherever there is signal and is not guaranteed at any specific location. Our Coverage page says so.
7. Cancel, return the modem, get the deposit back. Month to month means you are never more than one billing period in.

What being a reseller means when something goes wrong

If your modem has a problem, that is ours. Contact Support. Defective modems are replaced at no charge.

If your account or billing has a problem, that is ours too.

If a tower has a problem, such as storm damage or an outage in your area, that is the network owner's to repair, and it affects everyone using that tower no matter whose name is on their bill. We cannot send a crew. Neither can any other reseller, and neither can you if you are a direct customer of a big carrier. You just get a different hold song.

Why we tell you all this

Because you would figure it out anyway, and because we think it is a selling point. We are transparent to a fault. A company that tells you how the sausage is made is less likely to surprise you with what is in it.

Big telecom's model relies on things you do not notice until later: the rate that expires, the fee that appears, the contract you forgot. Ours relies on nothing being hidden, because there is nothing worth hiding. Two prices, one deposit, one return rule, and one secret about whose towers they are.

Frequently asked questions

Is a reseller a real internet provider?
Yes. You get a real connection on a real national network. We are the company you buy it from and the company that supports you.

Will my bill come from the carrier?
No. You are a Beakom customer. Your bill, your account, and your support all come from us.

Can I find out which network it is by looking at the modem?
We would rather you did not open it. The SIM is meant to stay inside, and signs of tampering fail the working condition standard for your deposit. That would be an expensive way to satisfy your curiosity.

Where does it work?
Nationwide, wherever there is signal. The honest test is a phone at your location. See how to check coverage before you buy.

Are resellers legal?
Yes. Wholesale resale is a standard, long standing arrangement in telecom.

The bottom line

A reseller buys network access in bulk and sells it with its own rules. The network is someone else's. The price, the terms, the lack of a credit check, the portability, and the humans who answer are ours. For most people, those are the parts that matter.

If you want to see how those rules work in practice, read How it Works or meet the company on the About page.