WINNIPEG – Just after midnight one hundred years ago Wednesday, the company that has since become MTS Allstream, came into existence under the name Manitoba Government Telephones, initially established to provide basic telephone service to the people of Manitoba
"Over the course of its first century of service, MTS Allstream and its predecessors have made innovations that have changed the way we communicate with each other and the world around us," said CEO Pierre Blouin.
MTS Allstream’s list of accomplishments illustrates the impact the company has had on Canadian business – and life – over the course of its first century, says the company, such as:
* The first Telex message (1956)
* The world’s first rural fibre optics transmission, between Elie and St. Eustache, Manitoba (1981)
* Canada’s first virtual private voice network ("VPN") (1990)
* The first Canadian Internet and email service for Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) (2001)
* Canada’s first national IP trunking solution (2006)
In recognition of the milestone, Blouin was invited to ring the bell to kick off the morning’s trading on the TSX and later that day he hosted an official celebration of the anniversary at the company’s headquarters in Winnipeg.
The company has also launched an official section of its Web site celebrating its 100 years of connecting Canadians.
"Today’s MTS Allstream is a true innovator," added Blouin. "Our network capabilities, together with our leading-edge services and skilled employees, allow us to compete and win in business markets across the country and the consumer space in Manitoba… MTS Allstream stands at the leading edge of the trends that are re-defining telecommunications in Canada."
