Ontario regional wireless broadband project launched

Ontario, Canada is deploying a large wireless broadband network that covers 115 small communities over 50,000 square kilometers. The Ontario Provincial Government has given CDN$1 million to Blue Sky Net, a non-profit community-based network to build out the Blue Sky Broadband Network which will cover the districts of Nipissing, Parry Sound and Sudbury. These areas currently do not have (or Ontario, Canada is deploying a large wireless broadband network that covers 115 small communities over 50,000 square kilometers. The Ontario Provincial Government has given CDN$1 million to Blue Sky Net, a non-profit community-based network to build out the Blue Sky Broadband Network which will cover the districts of Nipissing, Parry Sound and Sudbury. These areas currently do not have (or have very limited access to) broadband service.

In addition to Provincial Government funding, Blue Sky Net received funds from the federal Broadband for Rural and Northern Development, or BRAND, program and from the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario (FedNor). Blue Sky chose W3 Connex as the owner/operator/partner for the project and will provide approximately two-thirds of the total CAPEX for this project. mmwave Technologies, W3′s wireless integrator partner, will be designing and building of the entire network. Alvarion will be supplying equipment for the network.

While their neighbor to the south runs around passing laws curtailing public-private partnerships to roll out broadband networks especially in rural areas, Canada just moves on with the times.