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Inukshuk Internet, Allstream and NR Communications launch new broadband wireless
access network in Cumberland, Ontario
Unique and innovative commercial offerings from Fido and Allstream deliver high
speed, ease-of-use and wireless Internet portability
CUMBERLAND, Ontario, March 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- A new choice for high
speed Internet access emerged today in Ontario, as the new venture recently
created by Allstream Inc., Inukshuk Internet Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Microcell Telecommunications Inc., and NR Communications, LLC, launched a
Multipoint Communications Systems (MCS) network in Cumberland, a rural community
some 30 kilometres east of downtown Ottawa.
The three companies joined forces last November with the aim of usingadvanced
wireless technology to offer integrated high-speed Internet, IP-based voice and
local networking services to selected markets across Canada. Since that time,
the MCS networks were launched in Yellowknife, NWT, and Iqaluit, Nunavut, along
with partners SSI Micro and Nunanet Worldwide Communications, and on March 4,
2004, broadband wireless service was launched by the new venture's partners in
Richmond, British Columbia.
On March 10, 2004, the venture announced that AOL Canada will trial the
venture's new wireless high speed access technology in Toronto. The venture will
finalize its plans by mid-2004 to deploy the offering nationally.
"I speak for all the partners involved when I say we are delighted to be
announcing our commercial deployment in Cumberland today, building on the
momentum of our recent service launch in Richmond," said Andre Tremblay,
President and CEO of Microcell Telecommunications and Inukshuk Internet. "For
Inukshuk, this represents another step towards realizing ourvision of
connecting Canadians through innovative broadband technologies, as well as the
opportunity to extend the scope of our already rich and compelling Fido service
offering.
"By combining the unique strengths and complementary assets of the three
companies, we have been able to deliver a very compelling offering to consumers
and businesses in a capital efficient manner. We all have tremendous confidence
in this venture and look forward to building on this strong base to deliver
exciting new services such as Voice over IP and local networking services in the
near future."
Don Boudria, Member of Parliament for the Cumberland area, concluded: "I'm
delighted that Cumberland is one of the first communities in Canada to benefit
from this innovative new technology. I believe it will open up many
opportunities for the community, particularly for learning and business. On a
wider level, the deployment of the MCS network across Canada is very important
in terms of connecting Canadians to each other and the rest of the world."
With the launch of this new network in Cumberland, two new service offerings are
being simultaneously offered: one from Microcell Solutions Inc. under its
Fido(R)O brand, and one from Allstream. Microcell and Allstream will provide
competitive high speed Internet services using this broadband wireless access
(BWA) technology, to consumers and businesses.
Microcell is launching iFido(TM), a residential wireless high speed Internet
service; and Allstream is introducing a bundled wireless high speed service for
small office and teleworking applications, as well as for enterprise customers
with remote branch locations.
Inukshuk, as the spectrum licensee, operates the MCS network providing wholesale
BWA services. The new network operates across Inukshuk's licensed MCS spectrum,
thereby offering customers the security, reliability and predictability of
wireless systems that are able to use exclusively licensed spectrum bands.
The commercial service uses a unique plug-and-play broadband wireless
technology, provided by NextNet(R) Wireless, a leading provider of next
generation broadband wireless access solutions. NextNet's Expedience(R) system
is a reliable and proven system that permits true non-line-of-sight service and
delivers consistent broadband speeds across a broad coverage area.
This technology combines the simplicity of a true plug-and-play system, with
reliability, portability and competitive pricing. Installation of the portable
customer premise equipment (CPE) is quick and easy -- it does not require an
external antenna or a service provider truck roll. The CPE can be moved as
readily as a laptop computer to function almost anywhere within the Cumberland
network footprint. One key competitive advantage is the CPE operates up to 2.5
km away from any network base station located throughout the service area.
The Expedience system is currently deployed in 20 markets in the United States,
Canada, Asia, Africa, and Central and Latin America, including the largest
deployment of this system in Mexico.
About Inukshuk Internet and Microcell
Inukshuk Internet Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Microcell
Telecommunications Inc. (TSX: MT), a Canadian provider of Personal
Communications Services (PCS) under the Fido(R) brand name. Inukshuk Internet
was granted licences from Industry Canada for Multipoint Communications Services
(MCS) spectrum in the 2500 to 2596 MHz frequency band, to build a unique, "last
mile" broadband wireless access network. The licences cover a population of some
30 million people, comprising all the provinces and territories of Canada, with
the exception of Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
For more information,visit http://www.inukshuk.ca/ , and
http://www.microcell.ca/ .
Note toMicrocell investors
The statements made in this release concerning Microcell's future
prospects are forward-looking statements that involve risks and
uncertainties, which may prevent expected future results from being
achieved. For those statements, we claim the protection of the safe
harbour for forward-looking statements contained in the securities laws.
The Company cautions that actual future performance could be affected by
a number of factors, including technological change, regulatory change
and competitive factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control.
Therefore, future events and results may vary substantially from what the
Company currently foresees. Additional information identifying risks and
uncertainties is contained in the Company's Annual Information Form from
2002 and in other filings with securities commissions in Canada and the
United States.
About Allstream
Allstream is a leading communication solutions provider with a world-class
portfolio of Connectivity, Infrastructure Management and IT Services. Focused on
the Business market, Allstream collaborates with customers to create tailored
solutions that meet their unique needs and help them compete more effectively.
Spanning more than 18,800 kilometres, Allstream has an extensive broadband
fibre-optic network and the greatest reach of any competitive communication
solutions provider in Canada, and provides international connections through
strategic partnerships and interconnection agreements with other international
service providers. Allstream is a public company with its stock traded on the
Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols ALR.A and ALR.B and the NASDAQ National
Market system under the symbols ALLSA and ALLSB. Visit Allstream's website,
http://www.allstream.com/ for more information about the company.
Note to Allstream Investors
This news release includes statements about expected future events and/or
financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks
and uncertainties. For those statements, we claim the protection of the
safe harbor for forward-looking statements provisions contained in the
United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The
Company cautions that actual performance will be affected by a number of
factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control, and that future
events and results may vary substantially from what the Company currently
foresees. Discussion of the various factors that may affect future
results is contained on page 1 of the Company's Annual Information Form
dated May 2, 2003, which is filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, the Ontario Securities Commission, and SEDAR.
About NR Communications
NR Communications, LLC is a private company that makes financial investments in
telecommunications ventures and is proactively seeking investment opportunities
in selected sectors that it believes are driving the evolution of the
communications industry.
Fido is a registered trademark of Microcell Solutions Inc.
iFido is a trademark of Microcell Solutions Inc.
NextNet and Expedience are registered trademarks of NextNet Wireless,
Inc.
For related press releases today, see also: FIDO BRINGSPLUG AND PLAY
WIRELESS HIGH-SPEED INTERNET ACCESS TO CUSTOMERS IN CUMBERLAND, ONTARIO;
AND ALLSTREAM LAUNCHES WIRELESS HIGH SPEED INTERNET ACCESS SERVICE IN
CUMBERLAND, ONTARIO.
DATASOURCE: INUKSHUK INTERNET INC.
CONTACT: Microcell (media): Claire Fiset, (514) 992-1368,
; Microcell (investors): Thane Fotopoulos,
(514) 937-0102, ext. 8317, ; Allstream
(media): May Chong, (416) 345-2342, ; Allstream
(investors): Brock Robertson, (416) 345-3125,
or Dan Coombes, (416) 345-2326,