WINNIPEG – MTS said today it has begun to deploy its fibre optic network, dubbed "FiON", in the City of Selkirk, Man.
MTS has successfully started the transfer of telephone and Internet customers on to the new FO network and the company is on track to migrate 2,200 subscribers in Selkirk, about 45 minutes north of Winnipeg, to FiON by the end of the year.
"We are making good progress in the deployment of our new fibre to the home network in the City of Selkirk," said Kelvin Shepherd, President, MTS. "FiON will provide excellent support for our current services and lays the groundwork for delivering future services over one of the most advanced network technologies in Canada."
Customers on this new network will have access to the most advanced consumer telecommunications services that MTS offers today, including local telephone service and high-speed Internet services with speeds up to 25 Mbps, with potential for future speeds of over 100 Mbps. MTS also plans later this year to launch MTS Ultimate TV to customers served by FiON.
MTS competes on the Internet and TV front with Shaw Cable in the city of 9,500 but Shaw does not offer home phone there.
MTS was the first to launch FTTH in Manitoba this January in the Waverley West neighbourhood of Winnipeg and announced in April that it would be expanding the initiative to include the City of Selkirk along with an adjacent portion of St. Andrews and St. Clements. Teams will continue to convert Selkirk residential customers to the new network throughout 2010 with plans to have the network fully deployed by 2011.
