ShoreWaves LLC, a fixed wireless internet and telephone provider serving the Copper Country, announced Wednesday it will wind down operations as founder Steve Fitzgerald prepares to retire.
Fitzgerald launched ShoreWaves in 2012 out of personal necessity and community commitment. The company will continue providing services through July during a transition period.
“I started the business in 2012 so that I could work at my other businesses from home, and so that others in the community could likewise obtain internet service where there was none,” Fitzgerald said.
Over 14 years, ShoreWaves expanded across the region and developed proprietary equipment to reach customers that larger providers could not serve. After several attempts to sell the business, Fitzgerald decided to begin an orderly shutdown.
During the transition, ShoreWaves employees will pick up equipment from customers at no cost. The company’s PO box will continue receiving mail through December.
Telephone customers must select a new provider and arrange to transfer their existing phone numbers before the shutdown. The company encourages customers to secure new services before ShoreWaves completes its closure by Labor Day.
Fitzgerald’s decision marks the end of an era for internet access in the Keweenaw Peninsula. ShoreWaves filled a critical gap in broadband availability when larger providers overlooked the region, enabling remote work and connectivity for residents and businesses that otherwise lacked reliable service options.
For more details about the transition and service closure, customers can find additional information online.
