Small ISPs fight back with cheap wirelessHey gang, An article below raised some questions that somebody on this board might be able to answer. Has anybody heard of the companies mentioned in the article below? Who is Internet Broadcast Corp. of Dallas, Texas, which is providing the wireless technology? What type of wireless system do they use? Maybe this could blend in with the FSO systems available from LAN? Just fishing, can't hurt can it? Thanks kmapp
The Ottawa Citizen
Friday, May 10, 2002
By Vito Pilieci
Small ISPs fight back with cheap wireless
Ottawa-area trial set to begin this fall
Three small, dial-up Internet providers hope to build a coast-to-coast high-speed wireless access system.
The providers say the inexpensive technology could bring high-speed Internet access into rural communities where only dial-up service is currently available.
"We have all been looking for a solution to deliver broadband to everybody, and this technology is an opportunity to do that," Tom Eldridge, president of Internet Horizons Inc. of Kingston, said yesterday
The three-company partnership, which also includes Internet Solutions Canada Inc. of Hamilton and NavNet Communications Ltd. of Halifax, said it is setting up the service for a test group of 200 to 300 people in Ottawa and surrounding areas.
The trial run should be available this fall and a monthly subscription is expected to be much cheaper than the $44.95 charged by Rogers and Bell.
The trial will be used to gauge how well the technology works in Canada's climate and to try to attract the attention of the federal government.
"It's going to be something that we want to show to people, especially to government types," NavNet president George Rae said. "We want to prove that it is a higher quality service than what is available."
The group estimates it will cost only $4 million U.S to set up a service that would serve the entire Toronto-Windsor corridor. The project was motivated by increased competition from Canada's big high-speed providers.
"They are coming out with these cable lite programs to really target our dial-up customers," Internet Solutions president Rocco Leo said. "We are going to have to come back with something, and now we feel we can target them."
The three companies have a revenue-sharing agreement with Internet Broadcast Corp. of Dallas, Texas, which is providing the wireless technology.
Mr. Eldridge said his group cannot complete the cross-Canada network on its own.
He said he hopes other independent Internet providers across Canada become involved and help to extend the network to their regions.