First Hi-speed Rural Wireless High River and Okotoks Join the New Economy Brian Hall
News releases from Platinum Communications Corp. and WaveRider Communications, Inc and a more personal report from the National Post/Financial Post writer Shaun Conlin detail the first use of the unlicenced 2.4 GHz and 900 MHz bands to provide high speed service to areas where cable and telco providers turned up their noses. Some local businessmen put together a service designed to end rural brain drain--people and business fleeing the slow lines to get big city service.
But the folks behind Platinum Communications, an Internet service provider based in Okotoks, refused to take no for an answer when they set out to bring the advantages of high-speed Internet access to their community. Stonewalled by Telus, the local phone company, as well as area cable providers Videon, Shaw and Rogers, Platinum used its own resources to install the necessary digital pipeline and hardware from Calgary, south into Okotoks and further to the next town of High River. However, establishing a broadband link was only half the solution; appropriately wiring every single business and residence in the two towns was the bigger challenge.
Here are the original news releases and the NP/FP stories: http://www.platinumcommunications.net/newsPCCPress6.htm http://www.waverider.com/news/2000/nr_nov16_00.html http://www.nationalpost.com/search/story.html?f=/stories/20001128/385379.html P> Got news? Tell us about it!
