Hastings County

Barrett Xplore Inc. (BXI), through its Xplornet brand, is pleased to announce the awarding of a contract by the County of Hastings to provide broadband coverage in rural areas where high-speed Internet service was previously unavailable. Xplornet has installed fixed wireless service in the area north of Stirling and easterly through portions of the Municipality of Tweed as well as a portion of the Township of Tyendinaga.

Xplornet will use two complementary technologies to provide 100% coverage in the broadband gap areas to be addressed by the project - fixed wireless and satellite. Both technologies deliver urban-like quality and speeds at affordable prices.

As part of the agreement towers were deployed to cover specified broadband gap areas. Construction of the base network was completed as scheduled in the spring of 2008.

Fixed wireless does have some coverage limitations as it is a line-of-sight technology. Therefore, some homes may not be able to receive a fixed wireless signal due to obstructions or topography. Xplornet will offer its state-of-the-art satellite broadband to residents who are unable to access the fixed wireless network.

• Fast - fixed wireless speeds can reach up to 5.0 Mbps¹ which is equivalent to 125 times faster than dial-up. Satellite service speeds reach up to 3.0 Mbps², which is equivalent to 75 times faster than dial-up.
• Affordable - fixed wireless service packages start from $29.99 per month³ and high- speed packages (1.5 Mbps or above) from $44.99 per month.⁴ Satellite service plans start from $49.99 per month.⁵
• No phone line required
• Serviced by local dealers
• Free 24/7/365 customer and technical support
• Always on, always ready
• 30-day money-back guarantee

Hastings County residents will also receive Xplornet promotional offers in accordance with the agreement. Details are available from local dealers or on the Special Offers page.

Periodic project updates are available on the County and Xplornet Web sites.

If you are interested in more information, you can:

• call or visit an Xplornet Authorized Dealer. Our dealer locator will provide you with driving directions to dealers in your area.
• complete the no-obligation sign up form if you would like to be referred to a dealer in your area.
• contact the Xplornet Customer Care Centre at 1-866-841-6001.

Addressing the broadband gap has been a longstanding priority of the County as this vital infrastructure is essential to support ongoing economic development in the County. The business community and County residents have consistently indicated that addressing this key necessity should be a priority. In its 2007 budget, the Government of Ontario announced one-time funding assistance for municipalities that were in a high state of readiness to implement and sustain broadband capability under its Rural Connections ...The Ontario Municipal Rural Broadband Partnership Program. The program is administered by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) with support from the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services and the Ministry of Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Thirty municipalities applied for funding under the program. Hastings County was one of 18 successful applicants, due to the ongoing focus placed upon broadband and the preparatory work that was already done.

Hastings County is providing $50,000 towards the project OMAFRA is contributing another $50,000. Xplornet plans to invest $6.8 million in the County during the first five years of the project, including a $1.3 million capital plan and over $1.9 million to drive sales, awareness and promotion.

BXI was selected to partner with the County at the conclusion of a rigorous, competitive bidding process. Our submission met all mandatory provincial program requirements for this project as outlined in the program guidelines which can be obtained from the OMAFRA Web site.

Headquartered in New Brunswick, Barrett Xplore Inc. is Canada's largest and fastest growing wireless broadband service provider. Through its two service offerings - fixed wireless and satellite - the company delivers fast, affordable, reliable high-speed Internet service on a national basis with a focus on rural, remote and suburban communities that are un-served or underserved by other providers. BXI has already successfully deployed fixed wireless in many regions of the country, covering 300 rural communities and over 350,000 homes and businesses. Combined with its satellite service, the company is already providing broadband to tens of thousands of customers across Canada.

¹5.0 Mbps refers to the fixed wireless Xtreme package. ²3.0 Mbps refers to the satellite Elite Plus package. ³$29.99 per month refers to the fixed wireless Zip package.⁴$44.99 per month refers to the fixed wireless Zoom package. ⁵$49.99 per month refers to the satellite KaZam package.