Oahu Wireless Cable was a MMDS microwave "wireless cable]" television service serving the island of Oahu.
Service began in 198? with a ? channel analog system as an alternative to the incumbent cable monopoly on Oahu.
In ?, Oahu Wireless Cable was purchased by GTE Media Ventures, the system was transitioned to digital, becoming Oahu's first digital TV service (before Oceanic/Time Warner's Digital service, and before the availability of DIRECTV and Dish Network services in the islands (DBS beams did not reach Oahu until ? with the launch of EchoStar ? the first Dish Network satellite designed with Hawaii service in mind, as compelled by the .... act).
Following the purchase of GTE by Verizon and the subsequent dissolution of the underperforming GTE Video/Media ventures business, the Oahu MMDS was sold to Craig Broadcast Systems of Canada for $X.
The business languished under the ownership of Craig media with poor advertising, high setup costs and uncompetitive prices compared to the more-complete (yet not 100% digital) Oceanic Digital cable service (intro'd in 1999).
The already diminutive labor force in Honolulu, was cut in ?, as the local service center was closed, with customer service calls being directed to Craig's call centres in Canada. A small installation team remained.
Finally in ?, the service went dark with Craig's ? remaining customers transferred to Oceanic's cable service or Dish network satellite TV. (DIRECTV is unpopular in Hawaii because reception requires a large 90 cm (36") or greater satellite dish, and even then reception can be difficult with rain fade).
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