WisperTel expands again

Evergreen-based Wisper Telecommunications, Inc. has acquired Broomfield’s Path / Broadband Services, Inc., which offers wireless Internet service in the northwest Denver metropolitan area, including Arvada, Broomfield, Golden, Lafayette, Louisville, and Westminster. Financial terms weren’t disclosed.

The deal marks another big expansion for WisperTel, which was started in 2001 by CEO Barry Pier — formerly with US West, MCI and Western Wireless — to provide wireless Internet access to Evergreen, Conifer and other underserved communities in the foothills west of Denver.

In 2004 WisperTel bought Quicksilver Connect Inc., nearly doubling its customer base to about 2,000 subscribers. Since then the company has continued expanding up the Interstate 70 corridor to provide service in Idaho Springs, Georgetown and Summit County.

The company says the Path deal, its fifth acquisition to date, increases its coverage area to 3,000 square miles, and boosts its customer base to nearly 4,000 subscribers.

WisperTel received $2 million last June from an unidentifed Denver investment group. Previous financing included a $700,000 credit line from Silicon Valley Bank.

After the bank financing last April, CEO Pier told the Denver Post that WisperTel was negotiating to buy four smaller wireless Internet service providers. Pier says via email today to “stand by for ongoing announcements.”

Besides Internet service, WisperTel also offers voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) phone services through an arrangement with Las Vegas-based CommPartners.