Microcell, SSI bring Yellowknife customers on-line

Microcell Telecommunications Inc (2)                                     MT
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Wed 11 Feb 2004                                                News Release
Mr. Andre Tremblay reports
YELLOWKNIFE SCORES A FIRST FOR BROADBAND WIRELESS  ACCESS:  SSI  MICRO  AND
INUKSHUK INTERNET INTRODUCE NEW INTERNET SERVICE, A FIRST IN CANADA
The promise of broadband  wireless  access  today  becomes  a  reality  for
Yellowknife,  NWT,  as the community becomes the site of the first Canadian
launch of new wireless Internet technology.
Starting  today,  customers  in  Yellowknife  will  be  able  to   purchase
high-speed  Internet  services  from  SSI  Micro  Ltd.,  one of the largest
Internet service providers in Canada's North.  The  network  that  supports
this new service is operated by Inukshuk Internet Inc., a Canadian wireless
communications company. The launch delivers to the  area  a  new  level  of
connectivity   and   access   to   information,   services   and   business
opportunities.
"This is a real boost for consumers and businesses in the North," said Jeff
Philipp,  president  and  chief  executive  officer  of  SSI Micro. "We are
delighted to  be  working  with  Inukshuk  to  bring  the  new  service  to
Yellowknife,  and we see this as a landmark. We're offering the community a
dynamic new way to communicate, to learn  and  to  do  business  with  each
other, and with the rest of the world."
"This is exciting  news  for  everyone  involved,"  added  Andre  Tremblay,
president  and  chief  executive  officer,  Inukshuk  Internet Inc. "We are
committed to the success of this launch, which will allow for a new form of
high-quality,  high-speed  Internet  service. Broadband wireless access can
foster opportunities and overcome the barriers  of  distance  for  Canada's
North.  We  are  very  pleased  to be working with SSI Micro to deliver our
vision of connecting Canadians in all parts of the country."
For residential,  SOHO  (small  office  home  office)  and  small  business
customers,  there  is  now  the chance to enjoy the advantages of reliable,
high-speed Internet service, which is made particularly attractive  by  its
ease  of  use  and  the  added feature of "nomadicity." Customers receive a
wireless modem -- a discreet box known as customer premises equipment (CPE)
--  which  they  can  simply plug-and-play, self-installed and hassle-free!
With nomadicity, the CPE can also be moved as readily as a laptop  computer
to function anywhere within the Yellowknife network footprint.
As for the services themselves, the network  will  fully  support  a  broad
range  of  high-speed  and  feature-rich applications that are increasingly
essential, such as distance learning and video  conferencing.  The  network
equipment  and  CPE  are  supplied by NextNet Wireless, a leading broadband
wireless equipment manufacturer.
About SSI Micro Ltd.
Based  in  Yellowknife,  SSI  Micro  Ltd.  is   a   leading   provider   of
telecommunications  services.  The company has extensive experience in many
areas of local, municipal and wide-area networking, and is well  known  for
its  expertise  in  rural  and remote connectivity. Since 1990, it has been
providing leading-edge technology services and solutions across Canada  and
internationally.  The  company  is also one of the largest Internet service
providers (ISP) in the North, providing Internet services  and  support  in
several  communities  across  the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, the Yukon
and Northern Quebec.
About Inukshuk Internet
Inukshuk  Internet  Inc.  is  a  wholly  owned  subsidiary   of   Microcell
Telecommunications, a Canadian provider of personal communications services
under the Fido brand name.
Inukshuk Internet was granted licences from Industry Canada for  multipoint
communications  services  (MCS)  spectrum  in the 2,500- to 2,596-megahertz
frequency band, to build a unique, "last mile"  broadband  wireless  access
network.  The  licences  cover  a  population  of  approximately 30 million
people, consisting of all the provinces and territories of Canada, with the
exception of Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
In Yellowknife, Inukshuk Internet operates as a wholesaler and  works  with
retailer  SSI  Micro  to  bring  the  services  to  market.  As reported in
Stockwatch Nov. 19, 2003, Inukshuk announced that it had also formed a  new
venture  with  Allstream Inc. and NR Communications to further expedite and
extend MCS network deployment.
For  more  information,   visit   www.ssimicro.com,   www.inukshuk.ca   and
www.microcell.ca.
(c) Copyright 2004 Canjex Publishing Ltd. http://www.stockwatch.com