The Albany-based company, which has focused exclusively on the business market, is unveiling a new wireless Internet service today called Wink.

Wink, which starts at $24.99 for home service, will run off an existing high-speed wireless data network the company has been building over the past several years that the city uses for its free Wi-Fi service, Albany FreeNet.

Tech Valley Communications Chief Executive Officer Kevin O'Connor said the company made the leap into the consumer market at a key time in the industry, when political leaders and consumer groups are clamoring for universal broadband Internet service.

"Internet access has become more than just a luxury," O'Connor said.

The network, which is also used by the Albany Police Department, serves the city's downtown business corridor as well as neighborhoods such as Arbor Hill, West Hill, the South End and Delaware Avenue. The company is continuing to expand the service as it adds more so-called access point radios that connect directly to its fiber optic network.

"We're going to do in-fill," O'Connor said.

Although it currently has geographic limitations, Wink will compete directly with Time Warner's Road Runner Internet service that costs $39.95 a month when purchased on its own, as well as Verizon Communication's DSL and FiOS Internet services that can cost between $39.95 and $54.99 for similar downloading capabilities.

Jeff Mirel, director of wireless services for Tech Valley Communications, said the company polled local residents and found extremely low Internet usage in the city's poorest neighborhoods. Wink was designed to make it easy for those households to sign up, with no contracts and no pressure to bundle the service with others. The wireless modem needed for the home service can be quickly installed and can be either mailed to the home or picked up at the company's customer service center in Albany.

Wink's basic plans offer download speeds of 3 megabits per second and upload speeds of 1.5 megabits per second. But it also offers faster plans that offer a 3 megabits per second upload speed starting at $34.99. Albany FreeNet, although free, has download limits and generally cannot be accessed from homes.

Higher download speeds mean data such as video can be accessed more quickly. Time Warner's Road Runner service advertises a downloading speed of 10 megabits per second, while FiOS had a download speed that reaches 15 megabits per second, although Verizon does not offer FiOS in most areas of the Capital Region and has decided to stop expanding its fiber network.

Larry Rulison can be reached at 454-5504 or by e-mail at lrulison@timesunion.com.

Checking it out

The Web site for Wink, the new wireless Internet service from Tech Valley Communications, is http://www.winkinternet.com. Pricing starts at $24.99 for home service.