Rural Base Station for Indigenous Population

Canada's Norway House Cree Nation (NHCN) has become the first remote community in Manitoba to receive cellular service. The technology is provided under a unique agreement signed earlier this year between the NHCN and Manitoba Telecom Services (MTS). Under a joint investment agreement, the NHCN funded construction of a single cdma2000 1xRTT cell site. MTS is responsible for the ongoing maintenance of the tower, building, access road, transmission facilities and cellular equipment, as well as customer support. Under the unique partnership, MTS earns wireless revenues while the NHCN earns a customer-based fee from MTS, until the NHCN has recouped its funding.

"We are delighted to have found an inventive way to provide our customers in Norway House with tools to help them be better-connected," says Cheryl Barker, President and COO of MTS Communications Inc. "The service we've launched in Norway House provides our customers there with the latest in phones as well as access to services like text messaging, mts.net email, and the Mobile Browser, which allows them to surf modified Web sites for news, weather, sports and entertainment updates, and access financial services."

Posted to the site on 12th December 2003