Telesat Demonstrates Broadband Services for ACIA Investment
By Jeffrey Hill | September 20, 2012
[Satellite TODAY 09-20-12] Canadian satellite operator Telesat is conducting live demonstrations this month in Iqaluit to illustrate how satellite services can help remedy the bandwidth gaps that were identified in the Arctic Communications Infrastructure Assessment (ACIA) Report completed in 2011 for the Northern Communications & Information Systems Working Group and sponsored by the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, Telesat announced Sept. 20.
Telesat’s satellite demonstrations in Iqaluit include: providing high speed broadband to the Iqaluit Centennial Library Community Access Program (CAP) site that match and exceed the speeds available in Southern Canada; providing high speed satellite broadband capacity linking 3G cellular service provided by Northwestel to the Internet backbone; and providing streaming and live webcasting in cooperation with Inuit Communications Systems Ltd.
Telesat announced its ACIA initiative earlier this year with a $40 million investment that will serve as part of a proposed broader public/private partnership to provide broadband communications infrastructure that meets the needs of Northern communities over the next decade.
“Telesat is ready to move forward with our proposed public/private partnership and is hopeful that the application demonstrations in Iqaluit will provide momentum to begin making advanced broadband services a reality for the North in the coming months,” Telesat Vice President of North America Business Development Paul Bush said in a statement.