Inukshuk has extented its wireless coverage in Canada; this is immediately avalaible to Rogers Portable Internet and Sympatico Unplugged subscribers.
For those late in the party, Inukshuk is a joint venture between Rogers and Bell. The inukshuk wireless network is one the largest of its kind in the world, covering 40% of Canada’s population, mostly in densely populated urban areas. The new extended service cover now most of the St-Laurent area in Québec, from Gatineau to Quebec city.
Inukshuk uses pre-WiMAX technology. Subscribers order a modem from Rogers or Bell, which is in a fact an omni-directionnal antenna. Then, they plug in to their laptop with an ethernet cable, to get connected to the Internet. As you see, this is neither wifi 802.11 technology, nor ADSL, nor cable, or Aircard technology. The “modem” connects to Inukshuk towers, and you get up to 3mbps Internet through a secure 2500Mhz, OFDM connection. In areas uncovered by Inukshuk, you can access standard dial-up service through regular cellular networks. Nice innovative technology, if you ask me.
The service is marketed as a portable, simple and personal internet. You could for example get the internet anywhere in town. You carry the modem (which is the size of a small book), set up some where, and connect it to your laptop. The service is also better than standard wifi technology because it is used at a licensed 2.5Ghz frequency instead of the overcrowded 2.4Ghz range.
Don’t rush though to Rogers or Bell shops. This is a typical example of an early-adopter technology. You either use it if it is paid by the company or if you are one of those guys who have the latest HDTVs, gadgets and laptops at home. The service is capped at 30G per month at Bell, the modem costs around 100$, the service will cost your latest born kid about 60$ per month, and you have to sign a long-term contract. Also, if you want to work in a coffee shop for example, you will need to find a power outlet for the modem.
If you really want this service, go to Rogers, which offers higher usage caps and a 12 month commitment instead of 24 at Bell. Or justy wait for standard WiMAX technology to be rolled out.
