WIIKWEMKOONG—FirstTel Communications Corporation (FirstTel), a local telecommunications company on Manitoulin Island owned and operated by the Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory, has announced it has launched its unique Triple-Play featuring high-speed Internet, television and home phone service to members of the community.
FirstTel, with the assistance of WirelE (Canada) Inc., has built a unique wireless solution to provide the Wiikwemkoong community with a high-speed Internet service which major telco and cable services were unable to provide.
In conjunction with the launch of its Internet and home phone services, FirstTel has also launched a full range of TV channels packaged and provided by VMedia Inc., one of Canada’s leading independent TV distribution undertakings.
“We are very proud to have been chosen by FirstTel to serve the residents of the community and look forward to providing all of its homes with VMedia TV,” said Alexei Tchernobrivets, CEO of VMedia. “It has been a pleasure working with FirstTel and WireIE to implement the delivery of our service and we will continue to work with them to deliver our packages to the entire community.”
The enhanced fibre solution using wireless broadband, the first of its kind developed by a First Nations community to serve its residents, enabled Wiikwemkoong to provide quality broadband Internet services to indigenous communities across Ontario. The partnership with WireIE not only improved broadband coverage to over 200 households, but also led to the deployment of a new broadband fibre gateway to the community, which provided three times the existing bandwidth at less cost, ensuring sufficient capacity to handle the requirements of all community stakeholders and created incremental revenue streams through colocation fees to existing and new carriers.
“WireIE is proud to have helped implement an alternative broadband telecommunications service which will increase opportunities for economic development and quality of life for the Wiikwemkoong community,” Rob Barlow, CEO, WireIE, “Wiikwemkoong now has access to broadband Internet, bringing them up to par with established communities across Canada and we look forward to implementing this solution to other underserved communities.”
Since its incorporation in 2003, FirstTel has been on the leading edge in providing cost-effective alternative telecommunications throughout Ontario for First Nations. With the broadband Triple-Play service launch, FirstTel will now be able to offer service equivalent to that available in urban markets, thereby leveling the competitive playing field.
