AOL Canada to trial new wireless high speed internet
access technology with new venture
Wednesday March 10, 9:10 am ET
Unique and Innovative Broadband Wireless Access Service
Delivers Ease-of-Use, Portability, and Reliability
TORONTO, March 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - AOL Canada
Inc., a leading interactive service company, and the
recently-created venture between Inukshuk Internet Inc.,
a wholly owned subsidiary of Microcell Telecommunications
Inc., Allstream Inc. and NR Communications, LLC, today
announced a service trial of the venture's newly deployed
broadband wireless network.
Over the course of the next several months, AOL Canada
will trial the AOL® service over this high speed wireless
network in certain areas of Toronto. Last week, the
venture launched its new broadband wireless access (BWA)
network in Richmond, British Columbia, offering a high
speed connectivity alternative to users. ADVERTISEMENT
"AOL Canada is fully committed to offering Canadian
consumers a variety of choices to access the AOL service,"
says Craig Wallace, President and CEO, AOL Canada Inc.
"The industry-leading content and features included
in the AOL service, coupled with a variety of high speed
Internet access options provides users with new and
better ways to experience the Internet.
High speed wireless connectivity is another important
option in our overall multi-band access strategy." AOL
Canada will trial the AOL service over the venture's
fixed wireless network with its "bring your own access"
offer - currently available over any high speed connection
to provide AOL Members with incomparable features including
pre-bundled safety, security, privacy and family-friendly
content.
The AOL service is currently offered across a range
of connectivity options, including dial-up access and
a variety of high speed options including AOL Broadband
DSL with home networking. "On behalf of the venture
partners, we are very pleased that AOL Canada has chosen
to trial our wireless technology platform and believe
this initiative brings a new level of flexibility, portability
and ease-of-use to customers," said Ron McKenzie, Senior
Vice President, Strategy and Corporate Development,
Allstream. "Today's announcement demonstrates the venture's
ongoing momentum. It is another significant step towards
our collective goal of providing Canadians with more
choice for high-speed Internet access services." The
venture's BWA network uses a wireless IP technology
platform, provided by NextNet® Wireless, that is a reliable
and proven system based on non-line-of-sight technology.
This system offers a true plug-and-play set up, with
reliability, portability and competitive pricing. Installation
of the portable Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) does
not require an external antenna or a service provider
truck roll. The CPE can be moved as readily as a laptop
computer to function almost anywhere within the network
footprint. The core underlying technology will also
allow the venture to integrate voice over IP (VoIP)
and local network services in mid-2004. Inukshuk, as
the spectrum licensee, operates the MCS network providing
wholesale BWA services. The new network operates across
Inukshuk's licensed MCS spectrum, thereby offering customers
the security, reliability and predictability of wireless
systems that are able to use exclusively licensed spectrum
bands.
About AOL Canada Inc. AOL Canada Inc. is a leading
interactive service company focused on enhancing the
Canadian online user experience. AOL Canada is committed
to offering Canadians a variety of services that fit
the different needs of individuals online. The company
is a strategic alliance between America Online, Inc.,
a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Warner, the world's
leading media and entertainment company, whose businesses
include interactive services, cable systems, filmed
entertainment, television networks, music, and publishing;
and RBC Royal Bank, the personal and commercial banking
division of RBC Financial Group, one of North America's
leading diversified financial services companies.
The company operates three interactive online services
tailored to the Canadian marketplace, AOL® English and
French services, CompuServe® and Netscape® Online as
well as several leading Internet brands including AOL.CA(TM),
AOL® Canada Search, AOL Instant Messenger(TM) (AIM(TM)),
Netscape.ca and MapQuest®. Working with its more than
100 content and e- commerce providers, the AOL service
offers Canadian consumers value and ease- of-use through
state-of-the-art features and exclusive content offering.
AOL, CompuServe and Netscape are registered trademarks
of America Online, Inc. and AOL Instant Messenger is
a trademark of America Online, Inc., the world's leader
in interactive services, Web brands, Internet technologies
and e- commerce services. MapQuest is a registered trademark
of MapQuest.com, Inc.
About the Venture In November 2003 Allstream Inc.,
Inukshuk Internet Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Microcell Telecommunications Inc., and NR Communications,
LLC joined forces to build a Multipoint Communications
System (MCS) network to offer high speed Internet, IP-based
voice and local networking services to selected markets
across Canada using broadband wireless access (BWA)
technology. On March 4, 2004 the venture launched its
new BWA network in Richmond, British Columbia, offering
a high speed connectivity alternative to users.
Inukshuk Internet was granted licences from Industry
Canada for Multipoint Communications Services (MCS)
spectrum in the 2500 to 2596 MHz frequency band, to
build a unique, "last mile" broadband wireless access
network. The licences cover a population of some 30
million people, comprising all the provinces and territories
of Canada, with the exception of Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
NextNet is a registered trademark of NextNet Wireless,
Inc.
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