Education & Distance Learning Enthusiasts- Bell expands data services to northern Ontario

Home | Education & Distance Learning Articles | Article

Bell expands data services to northern Ontario - Bell Canada

Computer Dealer News - November 2, 1998

New opportunities may open up for resellers in northwestern Ontario as Bell Canada, in a partnership with Industry Canada/FedNor, steps up the provisioning of high-speed data services in the area.

Bell is expanding its high-speed data services platform to include new communities in northwestern Ontario. The plans are a continuation of a 16-community pilot project that began in February. According to Bell, the platform will give businesses in the area the opportunity to use applications such as telehealth, distance learning, advanced data networking, and voice and fax communications over IP. A total of 56 communities are expected to have the services by December.

For resellers, this could mean new business, according to a representative from the government agency, FedNor. "Now that the Internet is more available (to these communities), and data services are available to business at an affordable rate, people are going to need to buy equipment," explains Carl Seibel, telecommunications officer at Industry Canada/FedNor in Thunder Bay, Ont.

According to Caren Naismith, a Thunder Bay, Ont.-based regional manager of Bell Canada's customer service centre for northwestern Ontario, prior to the service customers in the area could only link up through a costly narrowband voice connection.

With the digital service, connections are faster and of a higher quality, even though the prices are still steep, says Seibel. "A minimum 56K connection is about $500 a month," he says. "Before you had someone in Pickle Lake, which is about 500 km from Thunder Bay, connecting to Thunder Bay, and their analog line would be 19Kbps. That cost them about $1,500 to $2,000 a month."

It was the high cost of these connections, as well as a growing need for quality Internet service, that prompted rural northwestern Ontario communities to rally for a modern telecom network. Through the Northwestern Ontario Telecommunications Committee, the communities approached Bell to get these services, says Seibel. He adds that Bell wasn't entirely sold on providing services initially, since it costs Bell about $50,000 per community to install the high-speed data service. Bell had to be convinced there was enough business to justify the investment.

Bell agreed to install a pilot service if the communities paid half the bill. The committee lined up money from Human Resources Development Canada, as well as FedNor, who contributed $362,500.

Seibel says Bell will report to FedNor how much business it has signed up in the first six months after the service goes into place. "If they have signed up no business, we pay the whole shot, the $50,000 per community," says Seibel. "If they've signed up $25,000 or more, we pay nothing. It's clearly to close the gap in the business case."

Bell

* Expanding its high-speed data services platform in northwestern Ontario

* Has completed a $200 million program to convert all switching equipment to digital service

If you would like to discuss any of the issues raised in this article with hundreds of other Education & Distance Learning enthusiasts from around the world, please feel free to visit the discussion forums & post a message.

Discuss this article in the discussion forums now.

Popular Education & Distance Learning Discussions From The Past

Bleeding in the eyes (1 posts)
by Herbie - Last post on: 07-15-04 21:08
I wonder if anyone can answer this medical question. About 2 months ago I found a good friend of mine, at his home, dead. He seemed to had passed away shortly before I found him. When I was trying to revive him, I noticed that he had a lot of bleeding in both of his eyes. Can anyone give ... (Read More)

over 3000 of the finest gifts from around the World (1 posts)
by Blue Water Gifts Inc. - Last post on: 10-07-03 10:51
**** Post for FREE via your newsreader at post.usenet.com **** 1) Free catalog offer 2) 20% off entire stock --- MAF Anti-Spam ID: 20030930194518Q6w9EjA0 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= *** Usenet.com - The #1 Usenet Newsgroup Service on Th... (Read More)

www.Nursing.net (1 posts)
by Business2003ww - Last post on: 12-04-03 11:28
Please visit http://www.Nursing.net "The Online Services Center for Nurses!" Providing FREE Personalized Nursing EMail and Classified Services! ... (Read More)

Fraudster Revealed!!!!! (1 posts)
by Dr Andy Porter - Last post on: 11-05-03 10:04
Fraudster revealed: On investigating If "DR. Andy Porter" is a real person!!!! Not!!!!!! ... (Read More)

You must register before posting in the Education & Distance Learning discussion forums. It's free & only takes a few seconds. Please also remember that no advertising is allowed...
Enter The Forums Here