Inukshuk Wireless, an equally owned joint venture between Bell Canada and Rogers Communications, announced the completion of the initial phase of its new wireless broadband network, with service available in 20 metro regions across Canada.
Th IP wireless network is based on pre-WiMAX standards and leverages existing cellular towers of both Bell and Rogers.
The initial phase of the network covers over 5 million households and 40% of the population and is now available in 20 areas across Canada including Greater Vancouver Area, Victoria, Red Deer, Calgary, Edmonton, Whitehorse, Greater Toronto Area, Barrie, London, Windsor, Kitchener-Waterloo, Hamilton, Ottawa, Gatineau-Hull, Quebec City, Greater Montreal Area, Charlottetown, Halifax, Fredericton, and St. John’s.
http://www.bell.cahttp://www.rogers.com
- In September 2005, Rogers Communications and Bell Canada agreed to jointly build and manage a Canada-wide wireless broadband network expected to initially reach more than two-thirds of Canadians in less than three years. The companies will jointly and equally fund the initial network deployment costs estimated at $200 million over a three-year period, completing a network footprint that will cover over 40 cities and approximately 50 unserved rural and remote communities across Canada.
- The companies are pooling their wireless broadband spectrum holdings into a joint venture, Inukshuk Internet Inc., which will build and operate the network. Specifically, Rogers currently controls and will contribute to the joint venture its entire broadband wireless spectrum in the 2.3 GHz, 2.5 GHz and 3.5 GHz frequency ranges. Bell controls and will contribute to the joint venture all of its broadband wireless spectrum in the 2.3 GHz and 3.5 GHz frequency ranges.
- Inukshuk will be the network services provider to Rogers and Bell and their subsidiaries, and will operate on a cost recovery basis.
- Inukshuk expects to negotiate a roaming agreement with Clearwire Corporation, a U.S.-based company building a similar wireless broadband network, allowing Rogers and Bell to offer customers access to an extensive Canada-U.S. wireless broadband footprint.
- Inukshuk plans to continue to use network equipment manufactured by NextNet, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Clearwire Corporation.
- Rogers Wireless is Canada’s largest wireless voice and data communications services provider and the country’s only carrier operating on GSM/GPRS. Rogers Cable is Canada’s largest cable television provider offering cable television, Internet access, voice-over-cable telephony services, and video retailing. Rogers Media Inc. is a premier collection of Canadian media assets with businesses in radio and television broadcasting, televised shopping, publishing and sports entertainment.
