MANCHESTER – When it comes to acquiring high-speed Internet service, companies have generally had two options, both of which involve traditional infrastructure. There's the high-speed service that telephone companies and ISPs provide, which generally runs over copper infrastructure; and there's the high-speed service cable companies provide, which generally runs over coaxial or fiber cable.

But one Manchester company thinks the idea of wires and cables is overblown. Spectra Access, 25 Lowell St., has been taking aim at Comcast Corp., FairPoint Communications Inc. and their like with its wireless broadband Internet service for businesses. The company says its service is quicker to install, more reliable - and cheaper than the competition.

"We don't have to worry about downed telephone poles, or some guy who ran into a telephone pole. Because we don't have to maintain that copper infrastructure, we can offer a lower cost," said Bret Clark, Spectra's chief technical officer and a partner in the firm.

"We're not affected by snow, we're not affected by rain, we're not affected by the sun €" which we hardly ever see," said chief executive Ron Dumont, on a recent wintry day in Manchester.

At its core, Spectra's system works using radio waves, and is essentially a hub-and-spoke model. Data is sent to and from a receiver to a base station, and from there it goes to the Internet.

It's a fast service as well: Spectra provides speeds ranging from 2 megabits per second (a bit more than the speed of a typical T-1 line) to 100 megabits per second, although if one needed even more bandwidth, speeds up to 1 gigabit per second can be provided. The services are offered under its WaveTouch brand name.

"We're now serving the Nashua, Concord and Manchester areas and surrounding areas. Essentially, there's a 16-mile radius around our base stations," Clark said.

Although the system uses radio waves, that doesn't mean someone can simply grab data as it flies through the air. Spectra has its own proprietary security algorithms in place to prevent data theft. Also, since the equipment used to send and receive the data is specialized, a hacker would need specialized equipment before he could even try to grab the data as it is transmitted.

Spectra Access has taken several steps in an attempt to crack into the market share its competitors hold. The first step is competing on price.

Prices for its services vary, based on things such as the equipment needed at a site. But 2 megabit-per-second service €" both uploading and downloading €" starts at around $299 monthly with a three-year contract, according to the company. That's a bit more powerful than a dedicated T-1 line, which offers speeds of about 1.5 Mbps. Prices for wire-based T-1 lines are generally more expensive.

According to Mark Mallett, president of MV Communications Inc. in Manchester, a T-1 line in Manchester offered through his company generally runs between $550 and $600 a month.

The company also focuses on quick installation as a way to get a jump on the competition. Spectra generally offers installation of its services within 10 business days.

Spectra also has a way of getting its foot in the door if customers are locked into a service contract with their existing provider.

Spectra's WaveTouch Link2 service provides service starting at 2 Mbps as a way to supplement a customers' existing Internet service, providingmore bandwidth and an extra connection in case something goes wrong. It also makes it easier for a customer to switch to Spectra later.