The Township of North Glengarry

Xplornet, a division of Barrett Xplore Inc. (BXI), is pleased to announce the awarding of a contract from The Township of North Glengarry to provide broadband coverage in Maxville, Dunvegan, Greenfield and surrounding rural areas where high-speed Internet service was previously unavailable. These areas are known as the “broadband gap” areas. Xplornet is pleased to announce the completion the North Glengarry Broadband network on March 5th.  Although the original Request For Proposal (RFP) agreement with the Township of North Glengarry consisted of four towers, in order to provide full coverage and superior service, the completed Xplornet project consists of 4 towers, one of which covers the previously under-served Alexandria area. 

In collaboration with the Dunvegan Recreational Association, James Joyce and the Township of North Glengarry, Xplornet has worked towards building this network for the last year.  The network will bring high-speed internet to the Township of North Glengarry through a fixed wireless or satellite signal. 

Xplornet would like to thank James Joyce and all those involved with this project for their hard work, time and the extra effort that ensured that this project was completed successfully and within the projected timeframe.

We at Xplornet look forward to working with the Dunvegan Recreational Association and the Township of North Glengarry in the future, to continue to help bring high-speed internet service to even more Township residents.

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

The first phase of the project providing fixed wireless coverage in the Maxville area will be completed in early 2008. Once the formal agreement with the Township of North Glengarry is signed, additional towers will be deployed. Once construction of the full network is completed by the summer of 2008, it is anticipated that 95% of the dwellings within the identified current broadband gap will be within the fixed wireless coverage area.

Fixed wireless does have some coverage limitations as it is a line-of-sight technology. Therefore, a small percentage of homes or businesses 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 185 times faster than dial-up. Satellite service speeds reach up to 2.0 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 $54.99 per month⁵.
• 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

Township of North Glengarry residents will also receive Xplornet promotional offers in accordance with the agreement. Once the formal agreement with BXI is signed and the network is operational, details will be available from local dealers.

In the weeks ahead, periodic project updates will be available on the Township, Dunvegan Recreation Association, 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 Township of North Glengarry as this vital infrastructure is essential to support ongoing economic development. The business community and Township residents have consistently indicated that addressing this key necessity should be a priority for civic leadership. 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. This 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. The Township of North Glengarry was one of 18 successful applicants, due to the ongoing focus placed upon broadband and the preparatory work that had already been done both by City leaders and community organizations, particularly the Dunvegan Recreation Association (DRA) and the Communities of Eastern Ontario Network (CEONET).

The Township of North Glengarry will receive up to $42,150 in funding from OMAFRA. Additional funds will be contributed by the Township ($4,000) and community groups ($4,000). Xplornet plans to invest close to $900,000 in the Township during the first five years of the project.

BXI was selected to be the partner to build and operate the network 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. The BXI submission also attained the highest total point score. It is anticipated that the formal agreement will be signed shortly.

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. ²2.0 Mbps refers to the satellite KaBoom 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$54.99 per month refers to the satellite KaZam package.