Canadian WiMAX offering begins

[In my continuing attempt to spawn discussion about current and new tech...]

Ars Technica is reporting that Rogers Communications and Bell Corp. in Canada have teamed up to form Inukshuk Wireless. Their aim is to use draft WiMAX specs and provide internet service to rural areas. They're currently able to service about 5 million people.

This is cool stuff - and it will very likely be cheaper than the fiber-to-the-curb that everybody wants but can't get. I hear the Democrats are considering adding internet service for everybody in their upcoming '06 and '08 platforms.

If this is successful in the Great White North, could this be feasible in rural US? Or will money grubbing companies overlook it?

Do you have a link to any article of that project? I tried Google by the way.

I think it is Google itsefl who already has made SF wi-fi (or they are working on the project). And it is going to be a free of cost project as far as I know. Or may be there will be very nominal fees, but affordable nevertheless. linky

SF is a very industrialized area. Any company can launch their product there and if the product is a hit, they can earn some nice dollars. So, I don't think Google was trying to set an example of their goodwill, but rather it would have been a test of their own technology.

But what I mean is, it is do-able. Isn't that the basic principle behind any government or any organization? Earn money from rich areas and spend them on development of rural or not-so-rich areas.

Also, if free or cheap wi-fi access is given to a certain geographical part of the society/nation then there will be development there. This opens doors for development of many other avenues.

In my opinion, companies should provide rural areas with free wi-fi access, if nothing then for a limited period. It is only natural cycle of give and take.

Oops, forgot the Ars Technica linkage



Usually when that happens, the government gives the company a monopoly for a certain amount of time to help recover the expenses of setting it up.

So, they should. I have witnessed the rise of cellular phone industry in India where major companies were given some regions between two players at the max, and it helped create a huge market there. (The cellphone usage is very high in India. Way higher than USA) Cellphone is cheaper there than here for layman.

Also, these companies helped set-up emergency network while there was a devastating earthquake in Kutch in 2001. They offered free of cost service in a whole region for almost 3 months. I don't see why they shouldn't be given any subsidies. Because the development is after all government's responsibility.