Having failed at his attempts to disrupt the broadcast industry, Chet Kanojia has set his sights on internet service providers.
Last July, Kanojia launched Starry, a startup that aims to deliver one gigabit internet connections for a fraction of what consumers pay for internet services from companies like Time Warner Cable or Comcast.
Starry, which already sells wireless routers online, plans to build a nationwide wireless broadband network.
“The vast majority of the country has only one Internet service provider,” Kanojia told Forbes. ”They don’t have an alternative. In those places, we think bringing an internet service that can be built out more cost effectively makes a lot of sense for consumers.”
Kanojia became the target of content creators and providers like cable companies and TV networks in 2012 when he launched Aereo with an investment from Barry Diller. Aereo allowed consumers to stream content for a fraction of what cable companies were charging.
Broadcasters sued Aereo claiming it violated copyright laws. After a lengthy battle, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with the broadcasters and Aereo was forced to shut down two years after it launched.
“People don’t like competition, but that’s a different topic,” said Kanojia. “Aereo was a different company that was trying to take advantage of regulator openings. Starry is a pure technology company that’s going after a big market.”
Starry’s website says the company is in a closed beta program in the greater Boston area.