Fort McMurray gets 4G Satellite-Delivered Internet

[jon]

Fort McMurray, Alberta to Become Major Gateway for Satellite Broadband in Canada

CALGARY, Oct. 12, 2011 /CNW/ - Xplornet Communications Inc. is pleased to announce the successful completion of a 4G satellite ground station located near Fort McMurray, Alberta.

This multi-million dollar investment in cutting-edge ground station technology will provide a high speed link to the Internet for a next generation, or 4G, high throughput satellite, ViaSat-1, that will supply broadband for rural Canadians across the country. Satellite is the key to unlocking access to real broadband for rural Canadians, and ground stations like the one near Fort McMurray provide the terrestrial link for the high-capacity signal the satellites will receive and transmit.

Bill Macdonald, Senior Vice President at Xplornet, commented on the announcement today, "We have invested in Alberta and Fort McMurray because the location worked well with our national design offering us a very robust, scalable connection to the Internet. We are Alberta's largest provider of rural broadband, and the province is a critical market for us. So we are pleased to be able to locate this kind of leading-edge technology here. The Fort McMurray ground station is an integral part of our national 4G network, allowing us to create a better broadband experience for rural Canadians."

The first 4G satellite - Viasat-1 - will be launched October 19th, and a second satellite - Jupiter - is scheduled for launch in the 2nd quarter of 2012. Xplornet, Canada's leading rural broadband provider, has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Canada to bridge the urban/rural broadband divide. "Xplornet is proud to make Alberta an important part of our technical and financial investments, especially with satellite. As Europe, the UK, and the U.S. have shown, the only practical way to get real broadband to everyone, regardless of location, is via satellite. And 4G satellite is a game-changer in terms of its ability to deliver speed and capacity," concluded Macdonald. Xplornet has setup a website to provide updates to the media about the launch of the satellite: http://www.4gsatellite.ca.