| One of the most popular choices today
| |
| | are in one of the most beautiful areas of
|
| among those who like to spend a quiet
| |
| | Wisconsin. I can see the cattle walking
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| evening playing old-fashioned family
| |
| | up and down the hillside right outside my
|
| board games is "Apples to Apples." First
| |
| | office window."
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| introduced in 1999, it became a million
| |
| | For people who want to take advantage of
|
| seller by 2003-and has won several awards
| |
| | the rural way of life and get out of the
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| for its publisher, Mark Osterhaus.
| |
| | city, WildBlue is a practical option.
|
| Osterhaus markets "Apples to Apples" and
| |
| | When Osterhaus moved to the area, he did
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| other board games through his "virtual
| |
| | not intend to do business in Richland
|
| company," Out of the Box Publishing. The
| |
| | County (pop. 18,000). But while meeting
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| company does not have traditional
| |
| | with Richland Electric to plan electric
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| offices. Instead, employees work out of
| |
| | service installation for the new home, a
|
| their homes-some in California, others in
| |
| | cooperative representative mentioned that
|
| Illinois, Michigan and various spots in
| |
| | a satellite broadband option was coming
|
| rural Wisconsin-communicating by phone
| |
| | soon.
|
| and on the Web.
| |
| | Soon afterward, Richland Electric set up
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| Osterhaus can run his company from
| |
| | a demo WildBlue installation in its
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| anywhere that he can plug his laptop into
| |
| | offices. "I brought my laptop down,
|
| a broadband connection. And since
| |
| | hooked up and was able to do everything
|
| September 2005, he has been working from
| |
| | that I normally would do out of Madison,"
|
| a rural home 10 miles outside of Richland
| |
| | Osterhaus said.
|
| Center, Wis. For Osterhaus and other
| |
| | "Apples to Apples" and other Out of the
|
| professionals, high-speed Internet access
| |
| | Box products require quality graphics and
|
| is a business necessity. Yet in many
| |
| | other data-heavy materials that the
|
| rural areas, traditional broadband
| |
| | company's employees share with each other
|
| options, such as cable or DSL, are simply
| |
| | over the Web-and for this purpose,
|
| unavailable.
| |
| | WildBlue's forward channel is more than
|
| For Osterhaus, the solution is satellite
| |
| | adequate.
|
| broadband. The game designer gets his
| |
| | "WildBlue is freedom," said Osterhaus.
|
| service from a company called WildBlue.
| |
| | "You can move yourself wherever you want
|
| "WildBlue allows us to be where we are
| |
| | to be, and that is priceless.
|
| living right now," Osterhaus said. "We
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| |
|
