MARKHAM, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Huawei, a leading telecom solutions provider, today announced that it has won a competitive bid to build a WiMAX network for Manitoba NetSet Ltd. A two-phased project, this network will extend fourth generation WiMAX coverage to rural areas of Manitoba, providing essential broadband Internet access to more than 5,000 new households within the first year.
“There are more than 22,000 households in the southern portion of the province that do not have access to carrier-class broadband Internet services and we are committed to delivering this service to all residents of Manitoba,” said Charlie Clark, owner of I-NetLink Wireless and President of Manitoba NetSet Ltd. “We conducted a laborious search for the right technology partner to help us fulfill our goals. We ultimately selected Huawei as they have a proven track record in WiMAX deployments around the world and have demonstrated their commitment to our project and share our passion to build out Manitoba’s first fully licensed wireless carrier network. Another major part of our decision was that we wanted to ensure that we were able to ‘future-proof’ our network. Our selection of Huawei means that our network is fully upgradable to LTE, once the design standards are ratified.”
Manitoba NetSet is a consortium of the most prominent Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in rural Manitoba which have teamed up to expand broadband network coverage across the province. Its mandate is to serve the regions of the province typically out of reach of the traditional land line services.
“The product portfolio developed by Huawei is providing us the platform required today, and for rolling out future applications of tomorrow,” says Bryan King, one of the founders of the company.
Manitoba NetSet required a cost effective carrier-grade wireless solution designed to maximize coverage for the region by utilizing the company’s 3.5 GHz licensed spectrum.
“Having affordable access to the Internet not only delivers the crucial connectivity demanded by today’s world, but also enables educational and business opportunities, and inspires innovation that in turn will fuel Manitoba and Canada’s economy,” said Sean Yang, President of Huawei Canada. “Internet access is important for all Canadians – no matter where they live – and we are very excited about working with Manitoba NetSet to expand Huawei’s WiMAX coverage across Manitoba and Canada.”
Huawei’s initial engagement with Manitoba NetSet will cover the southern portion of the province reaching from the Saskachewan border to the west, the Ontario border to the east, the U.S. border to the south, and services will also be made available to regions as far north as The Pas. The network will use Huawei’s industry leading SingleRAN base transceiver stations (BTS), which leverage advanced technologies to deliver high-speed access and rich services experiences for both its customers and end-users.
About Huawei
Huawei is a leading telecom solutions provider serving 45 of the world’s top 50 telecom operators. Huawei’s products and solutions have been deployed in over 140 countries and support the communications needs of one third of the world’s population. The company is committed to providing innovative and customized products, services and solutions to create long-term value and growth potential for its customers. For more information, visit Huawei online: www.huawei.com. Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/huaweipress and YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/HuaweiPress.
About Manitoba NetSet Ltd.
Manitoba NetSet Ltd. is an industry-led enterprise supported by a number of privately held Fixed Wireless Operators, who currently provide broadband services to over 10,000 households and businesses throughout the province. Its mission is to bridge the digital divide by bringing Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to areas of Manitoba which, due to location and current economic conditions, have made it challenging to do so in the past.