Mark Evans

Canada's Unfilled Wi-Max Dream

It has only taken seven or eight years but the Inukshuk network - which uses Wi-Max technology - has finally been launched by Rogers and Bell. In a sense, it's a sad day for Canadian broadband consumers because Inukshuk had the potential to be the third high-speed competitor to keep Bell and the cablecos (Rogers, Videotron, Cogeco) in Ontario and Quebec honest. Instead, the Canadian government watched Rogers and Bell take control of Inukshuk - and then approved the deal. This meant the idea of more competition in the broadband market has pretty much evaporated. Instead of a vibrant marketplace, Bell and Rogers get to retain their stranglehold on the market. Anyone expecting a deal on Sympatico Unplugged or Rogers Portable Internet will likely be disappointed - Bell is charging $45 a month for a high-speed lite-like service (512kbps) and $60 for 3Mbps service, while Rogers is charging $49.94 for 3Mbps service. Where Inukshuk could be competitively interesting is Western Canada where the service will battle broadband rivals Shaw and Telus. As for other jurisdictions, competition could come from Toronto Hydro, which will launching a Wi-Fi service later this year. Barrett Xplore is also in the game with a fixed wireless and satellite-based service.