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NunatsiaqOnline 20120925: NEWS: SSI dumps on Northwestels modernization plan

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SSIdumpsonNorthwestelsmodernizationplan
Theyvecomeupwithahalfcockedproposal
JIMBELL OneofNorthwestelsbiggestcompetitorsinnorthernCanada,theSSIGroup,wantstheCRTCto killaNorthwestelproposaltobuildfastwirelessandbeefedupInternetservicesforconsumers acrossthethreeterritories. Undertheplan,presentedtotheCRTCthispastJuly3,Northwestelwoulduse$40millionfroma publicbenefitsfundtobecreatedbyitsparentcompany,BCEInc.,theownerofBellCanada ThatfundwouldflowfromBCEsproposed$3.4billionpurchaseoftheAstralMediaInc.empire, whichcontrolsnumerousEnglishandFrenchlanguagetelevisionchannelsandradiostations. UnderCRTCrules,BCEmustsetaside10percentofthepurchasepriceforapublicbenefitsfund topayforthingsthefreemarketcannotnormallysupply. TheSSIGroupcompeteswithNorthwestelbywayofitsQiniqInternetserviceinNunavutandits AirwareserviceintheNorthwestTerritories,andalsoplanstoofferanInternetbasedvoicephone serviceinNunavut. Earlierthismonth,theytoldtheCRTCthatNorthwestelsproposeduseofthe$40millionisforthe benefitofNorthwestelandBellCanada,notthepublic. Ifmoneysetasideforthepublicgoodisusedtoallowthelargestplayerinthemarkettobeefup itsassetstocompetewithotherplayersinthemarket,that,onthefaceofit,isanunfairuseof publicbenefits,DeanProctor,SSIschiefdevelopmentofficer,toldNunatsiaqNewsinaninterview. InitspitchtotheCRTC,Northwestelsaidtheywoulduse$40millionfromitsparentcompanys Astralbenefitsfundtopayforpartofa$273million,fiveyearmodernizationplan. Underit,Northwestelwouldoffereither3Gor4Gwirelessserviceinall96communitiesitserves, whichmeansresidentsofeverycommunityinthethreeterritorieswouldbeabletousesmart phonesandtabletdevicesthatrunontheAppleorAndroidoperatingsystems. Andin79currentlyunderservedcommunities,Northwestelwouldofferbroadbandinternetat downloadspeedsofatleast5Mps. ButSSI,initssubmissiontotheCRTC,saidBCEandNorthwestelhavenotproventhatthese highlysoughtafterserviceswouldevenbeaffordablefornorthernresidents. Itswonderfultohavethelatesttechnologyandthelatestinfrastructureavailable.Butitsanother thingtobeabletoaffordtouseit.Thebottomlineis,theyvecomeupwithahalfcockedproposal, Proctorsaid. Proctorsaidtherealissueupnorthisnotthecostofcommunicationsinfrastructure,butthecost ofsatellitetransponderspace. Forexample,hesaidthewirelessmodemsthatSSIsuppliestoQiniqcustomersinNunavutare capableofcombineddownloadanduploadspeedsofupto6Mbps. Ifweopenedthosethingsup,youcouldbeuploadinganddownloadinglikecrazy.Butnobody couldaffordtodothat.Everybodywouldgobankruptbeforetheyknewwhathappened,Proctor said. AndBellhasnotindicatedinitsproposalhowsatellitecostscouldbemadeaffordable,Proctor said. Theydonthaveasolutionforit,hesaid. AsforNorthwestelsplantoputinhighlytouted4Gequipment,ProctorsaidSSIssystemisalready capableofthosespeedsbutnoonecanaffordtopayforthem. AndinSSIsopinion,thatmeansNunavutresidentswillcontinuetorequiresubsidiesandthatan entirelynewsystemoughttobedesigned,Proctorsaid.

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NunatsiaqOnline 20120925: NEWS: SSI dumps on Northwestels modernization plan

AnotherbigobjectiontoBellsproposeduseoftheAstralpublicbenefitsfundinnorthernCanadais thatsuchfundsarenormallyusedtopayforthingslikeindependenttelevisionproduction,Proctor said.

(8)Comments:
#1.PostedbyOpiniononSeptember25,2012 Soletmegetthisstraight.SSIdoesNOTwantustogetbetterservicesunlessthereis somethinginitforthem?IdontgiveadamnabouttheircompetitionandNOIamnotsayingIlike monopolies.WhatIAMsayingiswhomeverisgoingtogivethenorththebestserviceandASAP shouldbeallowedto.However,IsmellaratasIalsothinkthisplaybyTelesatandthelooking formoneyseemstocomeataconspicuoustime?SoTelesatprovides40milofmostlyalready therestuff,NWTelusesAstralfundstoponyupabunchandTHENtheybothsaywecantdoit becauseNUandtheFedswontcoughuptheother80million?HmmmmIwonder #2.PostedbyThinkaboutitonSeptember25,2012 Imnotnormallythesharpesttoolintheshed,butafterItookoutmycalculatoranddidthemath, 10%of3.4billionisNOT40million,but340million,morethanenoughtocoverthecomplete plannedupgrade.Maybeitisnotmycalculatorthatisbroken,maybeitisBCEsandthatiswhy mycellphonebillisnevercorrecteither. #3.PostedbyNunavutmiutonSeptember25,2012 IjustwanttheiPhonetoworkuphere.IhatetheuglyveryoutdatedBlackberryuphere. #4.PostedbyDannyonSeptember25,2012 Comeupwithplansfortabletsalready! #5.PostedbyTheOldTrapperonSeptember25,2012 #2,Suggestthatyousharpenyourreadingskills. The10%referstothesetasideinreferencetoBCEspurchaseofAstralMedia.Itdoesnotsay thatallofthemoneywouldgotoNorthwestel(asubsidiaryofBCE). The$40millionistheportionofthe$340millionthatwouldgotoNorthwestel.Theremaining $300millionwouldbeusedonotherpublicbenefitideas,orprobablyjustwasted. #6.PostedbyMarkonSeptember25,2012 Cansomeoneinformedpleasetellmeifiminterpretingthiscorrectly? BCEplanstoupgradetheinfrastructuresothatitcansupport3Gor4Gandhighspeeddevices, butwewouldstillsuffertheconstrictivebandwidthlimitationsbecausetheirplandoesnt implementanymeanstopipemorebandwidthintoNunavut? Inotherwords:Access,intermsofbandwidthcapsandspeedrestrictions,wouldstillhavetobe inplacejustasmuchasbefore.Thatsacompletewasteofpublicmoney.Alltheirdoingisusing thepublicfundstohirethemselvestodobusywork,keepingthemselvesandtheirsuppliers happy,butnotreallydoinganythingsignificanttoimprovethebandwidthsituationhere. Iforonedontneedasmartphoneifitsjustasslowandeffectivelyuselessasmyblackberry dumbphone. AnynewsontheArcticFibrecable?Whycouldnttheythrowthemoneyintothatprojecttopipeit intoatleastsomeNunavutcommunities? http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/stories/article/65674is_fibre_optic_cable_on_its_way_to_the_canadian_arctic/ Ifwecouldgetevenafewcommunitiesservicedbyalandbasedconnection(orthrough microwaverelays,orsomesuch),thenwedfreeupsignificantsatellitebandwidthtobetterserve thosecommunitieswhocannotbereached. #7.PostedbyDisgruntledNWTelUseronSeptember25,2012 #6Markgoodpoints. IreadinanotherarticlethatTelesatputonsomegrandshowwheresoutherninternetspeeds weredemonstrated.Southerninternetspeedsareatleast10timeswhattheyareherein Nunavut.Ialsoreadthatbecausesatellitedatatransferissoexpensive,anycompanyoffering southerndataspeedstoconsumerswouldgoBANKRUPT.SoisTelesatsuggestingthat Nunavummiutpay10timeswhattheyarenowtogetsouthernqualityinternet?Ialreadypay$100 amonthforgarbageinternet,Idontreallythinkinternetcosting$1,000amonthisinmybudget. NWTel,BCE,Telesat,SSImicro:pleasestopbeatingaroundthebushwiththissatelliteinternet bullcrap.GettogetherwithArcticFibreandinvestinatechnologywithafuture(fibreoptic).Stop sayingitcannotbedone,itwasdoneinGreenlandoveramuchlargerdistance.Anyinvestment insatelliteinternettechnologyisadamnwasteofmoneyandahalfassedbandaidsolution.

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NunatsiaqOnline 20120925: NEWS: SSI dumps on Northwestels modernization plan

HereshopingthatmymessagegetsthroughtoNunatsiaqNewsOnlinesothatotherscanread whatIhavetosay,butthenagainIamonsatelliteinternetsoitsdoubtful. #8.PostedbyWhataworldonSeptember26,2012 Ifweopenedthosethingsup(Qiniqmodems),youcouldbeuploadinganddownloadinglike crazy.Butnobodycouldaffordtodothat.Everybodywouldgobankruptbeforetheyknewwhat happened,Proctorsaid. Inshort,ifQiniqcustomersweregettingwhattheyarepayingfor,wewillnotmakethe substantialprofitwedo. ClearenoughMrProctor!

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NunatsiaqOnline 20120925: NEWS: SSI dumps on Northwestels modernization plan

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