December 23, 2009
For Immediate Release:
 

Christmas Delivers the Gift of High-Speed to the Residents of Laurentian Valley & Petawawa
Christmas has come twice this year for the residents of Laurentian Valley and Petawawa as all 5 high-speed DSL switches on Witt Rd. Achray Rd, Drive-In Rd. and Garwin St will be turned on as of Christmas Day. Residents will receive a call from Bell to activate their high-speed before the New Year. This high-speed internet will not only benefit residents of both municipalities but give businesses in the area a level playing field with larger urban centres .With the first phase of the project soon to be under wraps, the Laurentian Valley Petawawa Broadband Initiative is moving at high-speed and in the New Year will turn its attention to launching Phase 2 of the project, Inukshuk Wireless, for the rest of the service area. It’s anticipated that this second phase will be operational in June 2010, subject to weather conditions permitting an early construction start.

The new LVP website will be launched in January 2010. Both municipal websites will have links to the new site. This will give residents a chance to follow the progress of the project. Currently, the Project Coordinator is working with a number of different organizations from the community to develop appropriate outreach programs to help educate residents on the many benefits and uses of the internet.

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The Project Coordinator sat down with Jason St. Pierre, Bell Aliant Regional Manager of Operations, to ask him the top 5 questions received from residents in the area.

1) Now that all 5 switches have been turned on, when do you anticipate that the residents within the receiving areas will be notified?

Q1: Residents will receive out bound calls from Bell effective today (Dec 22, 2009) letting them know that DSL is available to them. If they see a Bell number calling and want high-speed do not ignore this call. Customers can also check www.bell.ca to see if they qualify for Bell Internet. Bell will also be sending Postcard type material to eligible customers to make them aware of the new service. Please note Bell Technical Solutions, the group responsible for all outbound calling, is always available to give residents knowledge of qualification within the new DSL footprint. They can be reached at:

1-866-242-0008

2) What is Inukshuk Wireless? Can you tell us a bit about what the residents can expect and when this second phase will be completed? Is it comparable with DSL?
Q2: INUKSHUK (the second phase of this project) is a Wireless broadband solution which requires an interior (Portable) or exterior (Rural) mounted modem (depending where the customer is located) and will be available starting as soon as June 2010. This product is a “point to point” or “line of sight” solution; which means the customers modem must be able to communicate with the tower which sends the wireless signal. This service will be comparable to DSL with regards to speed and service levels. More information regarding installation and service requirements of this service will come closer to the date of availability.

3) Residents want more information regarding the project – such as prices, maps and would like to be more informed. How can they do that?
Q3: The Laurentian Valley Petawawa Broadband (LVP) Initiative website will be up and running around January 15th, 2010. This website will feature maps, prices; FAQ’s and will be the primary source of information for all residents. Please note links will be put on the municipal websites found at www.laurentianvalleytwsp.on.ca and www.petawawa.ca , early in the New Year. In the means time please refer to www.bell.ca for all price information.

 4) Is it true that there are more DSL switches that will be added in 2010? Can you tell us anything more or their possible locations?
Q4: In the approximate timeframe of July, 2010, 3 more DSL switches will be added to our current footprint to cover the area along old Hwy 17 between Pembroke and Petawawa. The 3 switches are located in the areas of Sacks Rd and Achray Rd. More information will be available in the second part of the year.

5) Many residents are confused and questioning the purchase of an internet stick in place of DSL, what is your opinion on the stick versus DSL/wireless?

Q5: The 3 products are very different and depend on the users requirements. The Turbo stick is a Mobile solution, great for people on the go or who wish to have Internet access from multiple locations. This solution however has usage implications and is only good for one computer at a time; therefore, it is not ideal for a family or household. The fixed wireless solution (Internet Portable or Rural) and Wireline DSL are great for home usage with multiple, heavy users in a household and can been deemed an ideal solution. The solution chosen by the customer is ultimately dependent on user requirements and service availability.

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For information contact: Keke Patricia Mgbemena, Project Coordinator at 613-735-6291