Nortel Networks will build a commercial broadband wireless access network in Alberta, the Canada-based company announced today.
The vendor has been chosen by the Alberta Special Areas Board – a rural municipal area covering approximately 5 million acres in southeastern Alberta – to deploy the network, which will be based on the WiMAX IEEE 802.16-2004, or fixed WiMAX, standard.
The Alberta Special Areas Board also is working with new wireless service provider NETAGO Wireless. NETAGO Wireless will provide wireless broadband services to rural residents spread throughout more than 8,000 square miles in southeastern Alberta.
The WiMAX network will operate in the 3.5GHz spectrum band and be made available to roughly 80 percent of Alberta Special Areas Board residents by the end of summer 2006. It also will extend the service area of the Alberta SuperNet Project, a provincial government initiative that brings affordable broadband services to approximately 4,200 government, health, library and educational facilities in 429 communities across Alberta.
"This WiMAX network will support our goal of bridging the digital divide through affordable broadband wireless Internet services to users located in rural areas of Alberta," said Jay J. Slemp, chairman of the Alberta Special Areas Board.
Nortel will supply fixed (802.16d) WiMAX base stations, indoor and outdoor customer premise equipment, and wireless backhaul equipment, as well installation and professional services.
Alberta Special Areas Board www.specialareas.ab.ca
NETAGO Wireless www.netago.ca
Nortel Networks www.nortel.com
