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NEWS:AroundtheArcticJuly17,20159:45am

Forgetlandlines,broadbandsthenewnormal:
northernISP

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CRTCpondersthedigitaldivideasconsumersembracebroadband,
wireless
JIMBELL

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A"PowerCommHub"developedbySSIMicroisinstalledatalocationinIqaluit.It'sahightechcommunications
shack,builtintoasealiftcontainer,thatsupportsalonglistoftelecommunicationservices,aswellasFMradio,
andcanbehookeduptosatellite,fibreormicrowave.Thefirmproposestheuseofthiskindoftechnologyto
createacommongatewayforalllocalusersinnortherncommunitiestohelpsharehighbackbonecosts.(IMAGE
FROMSSISUBMISSIONTOTHECRTC)

IfbadlyunderservedregionslikenorthernCanadaaretoevergetbettertelecomservice,
Canadascommunicationswatchdogmustrecognizethatbasicservicemeansbroadband,not
landlinephones,theSSIGroupofCompaniestoldtheCRTCinasubmissionfiledJuly14.
Broadbandisthebasictelecommunicationsservice,amusthaveforallconsumers,businesses
andgovernmentsinCanada,SSIsaid.
Inthatspirit,SSIsaysthenationalregulatormustshiftitsbasicserviceobjectivefromlandline
phonestobroadbandandwirelessservices,eveninnorthernCanada.
AndthatincludesanalteredsubsidyregimeinnorthernCanadathatsupportsbroadbandinstead
ofoldfashionedtelephones.
TheNorthisvibrantandgrowingwithayoungpopulation.TostarvetheNorthofbroadbandinan
interconnectedworldistodenytheopportunitytheNorthpresents,saidJeffPhilipp,SSIsCEO.
ThispastApril,theCRTClaunchedabigeffortaimedatmodernizingitsapproachto
telecommunicationsinCanada,tobefinishedafterapublichearingtobeheldinGatineau,Que.
onJune30.
Abigpartofthateffortisaimedatredefiningthemeaningofbasicservice.
Anotherbigpartoftheprocessistofindwaysofsolvingthegrowingproblemofunderserved
areasthatdonotmeettheCRTCs

minimumstandardforbroadband
service.
Theyestimatethatin2013,about
1.2millionCanadianhouseholds
orninepercentofallhouseholds
werestuckwithlowspeed
internetthatdoesnotmeetthe
CRTCsminimumtargetof5Mbps
downloadand1Mbpsupload,
Tothatend,theyvealready
received296submissionsfrom
privateindividuals,publicinterest
groups,governmentsandtelecom
firms.
SSIssubmission,calledThe
QimirlukProposal,consistsofa
39pageinterventionbackedby
threesubreportstotalling86
pages.
Init,theypointoutthatacross
Canada,peopleareabandoning
telephonesandturningtowireless
devices
Between2009and2013,the
numberoftelephonelinesfellfrom
18.6millionto15.9million.Atthe
sametime,thenumberofwireless
subscribersrosefrom23.5million
to28.4million.
ButtheCRTCscurrentpolicy,
whichdatesto1999,stilldefines
basicserviceasalandlinetouch
tonephonewithlowspeed
internetaccessandafreecopyof
aprintedphonebook.

ArackofserversandroutersatSSI'ssatelliteteleportinKanata,
Ont.,thecontrolcentreforinternettrafficpassingthroughQiniq's25
communitynetworkinNunavut.Underacontract,SSIalsorunsthe
GovernmentofNunavut'swideareanetworkfromthislocation.
(PHOTOBYJIMBELL)

ButinnorthernCanada,Northwestelreceivesasubsidyofabout$20millionayeartohelppayfor
landlinetelephoneservicebutnotforbroadbandinternet.
Thosefundsdonotcomefromgovernmenttheycomefromasmallchargeimposedonmost
Canadiantelecomproviders.
Tofixthat,SSIrecommendsabasicservicecontributionaimedatbroadband.
AndoneoftheirattacheddocumentsproposesamethodforevolvingthatNationalContribution
Fundsubsidyawayfromlandlinephonesandintobroadbandby2021.
Reformofthecontributionsystemandlocalservicesubsidyregimemustrecognisetheprofound
importanceforhighqualityandaffordablebroadbandservicetobedeliveredtoconsumersin
Canadasremoteandoutlyingcommunities,SSIsaid.
SSIalsoacknowledgesthatsatellitetransportwhichformstheincomingandoutgoing
backboneforalltelecomserviceinregionslikeNunavutandNunavikrepresentsthebiggest
singlecostandthebiggestsinglebottleneckthatischokingthecurrentsystem.
Tohelpfixthat,theyrecommendaconcepttheysaywouldsharebackbonecostsamongalllocal
users:opengatewayfacilities,availabletoall,includingfirmsthatcompetewitheachother
locally.
Andthat,theysay,wouldbringbackbonecostsdownforeveryone.
Oncethecostofbackbonetransportandopenaccesstothebackboneareaddressed,thereis
noreasonwhymultiplelocalserviceproviderscannotservetheneedsofendusersbethey
consumer,businessorgovernment,SSIsaid.
Andthefirmhasalreadybuiltapieceoftechnologytoservethatpurpose:akindofprefabhigh
techradioshacktheycallthePowerCommHub.
Builtintoasealiftcontainer,thePowerCommHubholdsabuiltindieselgeneratorandelectronic
equipmentthatcansupportnumeroustelecommunicationservices,aswellasFMradio.
Itcanalsobeconnectedtoanytypeofbackbone:satellite,fibreormicrowave.
Ifeverysatelliteservedcommunityweretohaveanopengatewayfacility,thiswouldgoalong
waytowardsenhancingbroadbanddeliveryandenablingcompetitivelocalservicesintheNorth,
SSIsaid.
SSIoffersinternetserviceto25communitiesthroughitsQiniqbrand.
Untilthismonththecompanyofferedasimilarservicein26NorthwestTerritoriescommunities,

calledAirware,butthatserviceisdiscontinuedasofJuly18,duetotheshiftingofafederal
governmentbackbonesubsidytoNorthwestelin2012.
TheCRTCsbasicserviceconsultationwillculminateinJunenextyearatapublichearing
scheduledinGatineau,Que.
OthernorthernintervenorsintheinitialcallforsubmissionsincludetheGovernmentofthe
NorthwestTerritories,theQikiqtaalukCorp.,theKativikRegionalGovernment,theNunavut
BroadbandDevelopmentCorp.andAjungiArcticConsultingofIqaluit.
TheGovernmentofNunavutdoesnotappeartohavefiledaninterventionatthisstage.

(8)Comments:
#1.PostedbyYeahButonJuly17,2015
ThatsnicebutthatmeansmyISP(Northwestel)wouldlovetotakethelibertyofchargingfor
overusage.$1,000/monthatleast.GoodforNWTel,badforme!
#2.PostedbyNativeonJuly17,2015
Yeah1#NorthwestelisnotpartofSSI.SSIjustwantsmoresubsidyandnothavetokeepany
promisestheymake.
#3.PostedbyAlive&WellonJuly17,2015
IKNOWBOTHORGANIZATIONSVERYWELLANDHAVEWORKEDWITHBOTH
COMPANIESATTHEGNINCGS/IPSANDIMUSTSAYTHEREISREALLYNO
COMPARISONBETWEENNWTELANDSSI.IACTUALLYTHOUGHTNWTELWASBAD
ANDONLYINITFORTHEMONEYUNTILSSIWONACOUPLEOFCONTRACTSTHEN
OHMYGODWITHANYLUCKATALLTHESUBSIDIESWILLGO/STAYWITH
NORTHWESTEL..ANDWECANONLYWISHSSIWILLEXITSTAGELEFT
#4.PostedbyDeafonJuly18,2015
#3stopyelling!
#5.PostedbySurferonJuly18,2015
Canadaoutsideofthemajorcitiesarebadlyoutdatedintechnologycomparedtotherestofthe
developedcountries.
MoveupandawayfromthemajorcitiesinCanadaanditlikebeinginthe90sinregardsto
technology.
Bynotkeepingupwiththetimesandnotbeingproactiveinthisfielditwillbethatmuchmore
expensivetocatchupandupgradethetechnologyinthefuture.
#6.PostedbyJamisieonJuly19,2015
Notsurewhatyouclaimistrue#5.Technologyisgrowingfasterandbetterwitheachpassing
day.ItmaybebettertowaituntilthetechnologythatfitstheNorthsneedsisavailable.
#7.Postedby10YearresidentonJuly19,2015
Yah#4sometimesyouhavetoyelltobeheard..
#8.PostedbyJamesPPattersononJuly19,2015
ExplornethasalreadysurpassedbothNorthwestelandSSIMicro(Qiniq)inproviding5Mbpsvia
2waysatellitenowviaKA2.Upgradesarealreadyinprogressacrossthenorth.Unfortunately,
therearefewqualifiedinstallersinthenortherncommunitiestohelpcarryouttheseupgrades.
The5Mbpsdownand1Mbpsupisonlytemporaryuntilanewersatelliteislaunchednextyear,
atwhichtimewewillhaveatrulybroadbandservicewith25Mbpsdownand5Mbpsup.Rates
andcapsarebettertheneitherprovider.CasCominYellowknifeistheExplornetdealerforboth
NTandNUandunlikeQiniqandNorthwestelsDSL,theyalreadyhavehighercapsandonly
charge$2/GBvs$15$20/GBthatQiniqandDSLcharge.
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