REPORTS FROM Northern Ontario newspapers say that Bell Aliant has submitted a purchase proposal for Ontera, the telecom arm of the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission – and that the board of directors of the ONTC has approved of the sale.
There has been no official announcement as yet, however.
According to the North Bay Nugget, the ONTC will get $6 million in cash for the telecom division, plus “the deal includes an estimated $10 million in long-term revenue to the ONTC based on fibre-optic licencing agreements. And the province and Bell Aliant will each contribute $15.1 million toward a public-private investment in telecommunications infrastructure in Northeastern Ontario. There will be no immediate changes to Ontera's workforce of 125 employees,” reads the newspaper’s story.
Ontera provides telecom services (fibre backhaul in many regions and some business and residential telephone and internet connectivity in other spots, to 30,000 customers in Northern Ontario in a territory spanning 200,000 square kilometres. Its network connects remote areas of Northeastern Ontario as far north as Peawanuck, as well as major northern centres such as Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie and North Bay.
