Predictions Fixed wireless deployments continue to bring broadband to rural Canada

Greater relief to Canadians living in rural and remote regions of the country not able to get high-speed Internet access should be coming this year. Service providers are battling it out in the rural and remote trenches in a bid to secure subscribers. Two main factors suggest 2006 could prove to be a banner year for fixed wireless network deployment in Canada. First of all, there is sufficient high-bandwidth spectrum (2.3 GHz and 3.5 GHz) in the hands of about two dozen service providers as a result of spectrum auctions in 2004 and 2005. Secondly, advancements in equipment development technology continue to bring lower-cost gear to the market. As well, service providers using the unlicensed bands will continue to expand their networks. These providers received good news last year when Industry Canada opened up more licence-exempt spectrum in the 5GHz band (RoW, May 4/05). This should help spur greater deployment. With respect to licensed spectrum, the big three wireless companies – Bell Canada, Telus Mobility and Rogers Wireless – acquired most of the spectrum in the 2004 and 2005 auctions. They won’t be as quick off the mark for deployment, however, as they will almost certainly wait until WiMAX-certified equipment is commercially available. Smaller, regional providers, which secured the rights to considerable bandwidth, will move sooner as they try to establish a solid customer base before the larger players enter the market. Cochrane AB-based Pathcom Wireless gained a significant footprint in Alberta – despite not having won any licences in Edmonton or Calgary. Mipps Inc., a Toronto-based ISP, is considered one of the big winners in both auctions having secured licences in the lucrative major urban regions. VCom Inc. and Navigata Communi-cations are also two companies that could make some noise in Western Canada. VCom, buoyed by a recent $40-million IPO (RoW, Oct. 5/05), could be exploring a possible expansion of subsidiary YourLink Inc. Navigata is backed by SaskTel and is considered to be integral to the provincial incumbent telephone company’s out-of-territory strategy. It is unlikely that service will be expanded to cover all of Canada’s rural and remote communities within the next year, but there will be considerable network deployment in several parts of the country to close the gap between the haves and the have-nots. Alberta is one such region where providers will piggyback on the pan-provincial SuperNet to connect to the Internet backbone. Ontario is another area that will see continued development of community-owned networks. Inukshuk Internet Inc., the partnership between Rogers Communications Inc. and Bell Canada, is also likely to expand its network after years of delays. The company has received numerous service rollout extensions from Industry Canada after it was originally licensed in March 2000. The time, however, appears right for a larger network rollout. Equipment advancements are also ramping up from Canadian and international broadband wireless gear makers. The WiMAX Forum will begin its first wave of certification this year. Wi-LAN Inc. says it plans to be in the second wave of certification and expects its products to be on the market by the end of this year. Redline Communications Inc. and SR Telecom Inc. are also significant players in the global broadband wireless equipment market.

Predictions Fixed wireless deployments continue to bring broadband to rural Canada

News | 01/10/2006 5:00 am EST

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