DragonWave helps Telecom Ottawa expand network
By Leo Valiquette, Ottawa Business Journal Staff
Mon, Dec 9, 2002 4:00 PM EST

The AirPair system

Local wireless network firm DragonWave Inc. announced a contract with Telecom Ottawa Ltd. on Monday to help the high-speed Internet Service Provider expand its coverage area beyond the limits of its fibre network.

Telecom Ottawa is a year-old service provider launched by Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc. The company is using Hydro Ottawa's optical backbone to deliver highs-speed Internet. With a data transfer speed of 100 megabits, the service is targeted at businesses with high traffic demand.

The optical backbone was built across the region so that Hydro Ottawa could monitor and control the municipal electricity grid. Telecom Ottawa is limited to offering its services to businesses and institutions with a fibre link to that grid.

That's is where DragonWave's technology comes in.

The company's AirPair Internet Radio delivers high-speed Internet service wirelessly with a rooftop antenna dish combined with a modem. The product will allow Telecom Ottawa to reach any potential customer within the 5,000-square-kilometre area now included within the amalgamated city. That includes rural areas outside of the traditional urban boundaries.

The system can be installed and operational within 24 hours.

Ken Davison, DragonWave's VP of marketing and sales, said the expanded coverage is vital to Telecom Ottawa's success since some customers want all or nothing coverage or else they won't sign a contract.

For example, a local school board would not sign up for Telecom Ottawa's service unless it could be provided to all of its schools. However, almost a third of its schools were too far away from Telecom Ottawa's fibre backbone to be wired up.

Financial terms of the deal were not released, but Davison said Telecom Ottawa has standardized its network on DragonWave's technology. As the service provider's customer base grows, so will DragonWave's revenue stream.

"As Telecom Ottawa goes from urban to more rural customers we'll see more of that benefit," Davison said.