AOL Canada to trial new wireless high speed internet access technology with new venture
10 3월 2004 - 11:10PM
PR Newswire (US)
AOL Canada to trial new wireless high speed internet access
technology with new venture Unique and Innovative Broadband
Wireless Access Service Delivers Ease-of-Use, Portability, and
Reliability TORONTO, March 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AOL
CanadaInc., 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(R)
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. "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 varietyof 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(R) 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(R) English and French services,
CompuServe(R) and Netscape(R) Online as well as several leading
Internet brands including AOL.CA(TM), AOL(R) Canada Search, AOL
Instant Messenger(TM) (AIM(TM)), Netscape.ca and MapQuest(R).
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 frequencyband, 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. DATASOURCE:
Allstream Inc. CONTACT: Media: Becky Bolt, AOL Canada, (416)
960-6605, ; May Chong, Allstream, (416) 345-2342, ; Claire Fiset,
Microcell, (514) 992-1368, ; Investors: Brock Robertson, Allstream,
(416) 345-3125, ; Dan Coombes, Allstream, (416) 345-2326, ; Thane
Fotopoulos, Microcell, (514) 937-0102, ext. 8317,
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