The City of Summerside and its operator partner Wireless Island Ltd. are deploying a wireless broadband network using Alvarion Ltd. systems, across the western half of the Canadian province, Prince Edward Island (PEI).
"The communities of Prince Edward Island are no different than those near the major urban centers, as reliable access to broadband services is now critical to economic development," says Christopher Ogg, CEO of Wireless Island, which is based in Summerside, PEI. "Summerside has a vision which recognizes the historic role of cities to provide infrastructure and services beyond their municipal boundaries since a city's prosperity is tied to the larger region. Fostering broadband across the region is a logical extension of this role.”
PEI, one of Canada's most popular summer vacation destinations, is home to about 135,000 people, and covers an area of approximately 5,600 square kilometers.
The city and Wireless Island are using Alvarion's BreezeACCESS wireless broadband platform to provide last-mile connections for high-speed Internet access to homes and businesses, as well as to schools and public offices in the region.
The network, deployed with the region's cities to spur economic development, mostly is funded through an award by Industry Canada, a federal department with responsibilities including telecommunications policy.
"We have been working with Wireless Island for some time now to realize our shared vision of broadband ubiquity for users through wireless,” says Terry Murphy, Summerside’s chief administrative officer. “Furthermore, as the network follows the Canadian principles of 'Open Access,' others can opt to become service providers, thereby providing further economic opportunity to rural areas."
