Two of Canada's leading communication companies, Rogers Communications and Bell Canada, have announced an agreement to jointly build and manage a Canada-wide wireless broadband network that is expected to reach more than two-thirds of all Canadians in less than three years. The companies will jointly and equally fund the initial network deployment at an estimated cost of USD $170 million. Once complete, the network footprint will cover over 40 cities and approximately 50 rural and remote communities across Canada, some of which are still waiting for high-speed Internet access.

Targeting business travelers and others who need what the companies describe as "portable" broadband, the service will allow subscribers to access the Internet and use a host of voice, video streaming and data applications from wherever the service is available in Canada. Additionally, they expect to negotiate a roaming agreement with U.S.-based Clearwire Corporation, a company building a similar wireless broadband network, which will give customers extensive American roaming access.

"The promise of wireless broadband is here and Bell and Rogers have the expertise, resources and commitment to make it happen," said Bob Berner, chief technology officer of Rogers Communications. "This is a powerful tool for Canadian businesses and consumers -- both of whom will benefit from the substantially increased and accelerated competition the network will bring."

Rogers Communications, Canada's biggest cable company, and Bell Canada, the nation's largest phone company, are fierce competitors in the cellular phone and wired high-speed Internet business. But rather build separate networks to service what they see as an emerging wireless broadband market, the companies decided to pool their wireless broadband spectrum holdings into a joint venture, Inukshuk Internet Inc., which will build and operate the wireless network. Additionally, Rogers currently controls and will contribute its entire broadband wireless spectrum in the 2.3 GHz, 2.5 GHz and 3.5 GHz frequency ranges. Bell controls and will contribute all of its broadband wireless spectrum in the 2.3 GHz and 3.5 GHz frequency ranges.

The arrangement will allow the companies to minimize costs and maximize wireless broadband network coverage as well as leveraging both companies' existing wireless tower and network transport infrastructures.

"This is an efficient, effective and responsible approach to getting more high speed Internet services to more Canadians more quickly," said Stephen Wetmore, group president of national markets at Bell Canada. "Wireless broadband offers exciting opportunities for the delivery of these services, particularly for many of those living in unserved and remote communities."

Inukshuk, acting as a network services provider to Rogers and Bell, will operate on a cost recovery basis. It will be owned and controlled equally by Rogers and Bell and each company will have the right to use 50 percent of the network's total transmission capacity. However, Bell and Rogers will compete in the marketing and delivery of wireless applications and services to end-customers, thereby offering some competition and consumer choice. From a customer's perspective, subscriptions will be for either Rogers or Bell wireless broadband services.

Proprietary Technology
Initially, Inukshuk plans to deploy semi-proprietary network equipment manufactured by NextNet, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Clearwire Corporation. NextNet offers a non line-of-sight (NLOS) plug-and-play broadband wireless Internet access system that, according to the company, delivers the greatest aggregate throughput for the least amount of spectrum allocated, right to the edge of the cell. This means more subscribers have access to true broadband speeds.

It provides an end-to-end solution for operators with an integrated base station capable of operating in a multi-cell environment and the option of indoor and outdoor subscriber wireless modems, both with extended range NLOS coverage of up to 30 km. Subscriber hardware is customer installable (plug-and-play), facilitating new subscriber set-up.

The choice to go for proprietary technology for now was based on