DAVENPORT, Iowa — On Aug. 12, Jason Howell's company celebrates two years since he made the first version of his innovative device.
Howell was inspired by his own experiences of the Aug. 2020 derecho that brought destruction to the Quad Cities and beyond.
"Downed lines, down trees - I mean we had to clear out a significant portion of our street just to get to the doorway," he said. "We didn't have power at our house for six days."
The disaster presented him with a problem.
"My children decided in the wake of a natural disaster, the most important thing was to get on social media and post videos online," Howell said, "and their phone didn't work in the house anymore. We couldn't get a cell signal inside, so they were out in the middle of the street in the dark. And we were worried they were gonna get run over."
That led him to create SkyAMP, a device that boosts wireless signals.
The company sells various models that handle different signal types and ranges. High-end models can reach upwards of 1000 feet, with Wi-Fi, 4G, Bluetooth and more. Regardless, all the models have a unique selling point.
"We don't have a power source," Howell said. "You don't need to plug them in, and there's no solar or batteries."
SkyAMP began in Howell's basement but has grown to a company with 30 employees. 15 work actively at his Davenport factory line, and his product is selling to businesses across the U.S.
Howell added that while some sales are from home and residential use, a large portion of his company's business comes from enterprise clients. Major cellphone carriers, hospitals, and the educational field were some examples he gave.
The company's growth is also leading to new research and development.
The SkyAMP team showed WQAD a small tower-like device made of three magnetic blocks. Designed for high-capacity venues like stadiums and convention centers, it has an effective range of 500 feet.
Howell recognized how devastating the derecho was, but said "it's been a true silver lining for us. In our minds, the derecho - as horrible as it was - it wasn't all bad for us, even though we had our fair share of issues just like everybody else."
The SkyAMP company prides itself in sourcing all materials from the U.S, and the entire device and packaging are made in-house.