EDMONTON, Alberta, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Nortel has been selected to build Canada's first WiMax network based on the fixed WiMax standard in rural Alberta.
Nortel announced in Dallas Wednesday that the Alberta Special Areas Board will team with wireless service provider NETAGO Wireless on the network that will bring wireless broadband to a sparsely populated region covering some 8,000 square miles.
Nortel's role will be to supply equipment including 802.16-standard base stations and Customer Premises Equipment for indoor and outdoor use.
Access points will be centered on government buildings, schools and libraries and will deliver wireless Internet at speeds comparable to fixed DSL lines.
"This WiMAX network will support our goal of bridging the digital divide through affordable broadband wireless Internet services to users located in rural areas of Alberta," said Jay Slemp, chairman of the Special Areas Board, an organization that governs millions of undeveloped acres in southeastern Alberta.
"Nortel's proven innovation in WiMAX, wireless mesh and advanced 3G technologies along with its ability to get this service up and running efficiently is essential to meeting our goal," he added.
