LITTLE BRITAIN, Ont. – Rogers Communications has purchased another cottage country ISP/TV/phone provider as Ruralwave informed its customers this morning it will be joining Rogers as a new subsidiary.
“As we join the Rogers family, great things are coming to our customers like you. Rogers is a leading Canadian telecommunications company and we are confident that this partnership will help Ruralwave to continue to grow, improve services, and connect more communities,” says its message to customers from founder Dan Risebrough Barns.
Ruralwave serves about 2,400 customers with a fixed wireless and fibre network through Ramara, Scugog, Brock, the City of Kawartha Lakes and the Municipality of Clarington. It is adjacent to Rogers’s existing network in Lindsay, Ont., and not far from Cable Cable, the company it purchased last month.
Ruralwave will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Rogers. Daily operations will continue to be managed by the Ruralwave team and the company branding won’t change, says the company.
“Rogers has committed to retaining our strong local presence and all our existing staff members will join the Rogers team,” continues the message to customers. “The Ruralwave team and their knowledge of the communities they serve are a key reason for our success, and Rogers does not want to change that. Rogers investment in our network and services will position our local communities to have the latest technologies now, and in the future. We look forward to growing together to continue providing the best services and experience that you have come to expect from our dedicated team.”
Rogers also sent out a press release this morning announcing the purchase (financial details were not disclosed).
“Rural communities are vital to everything we do at Ruralwave,” said Risebrough Barnes, founder of Ruralwave, in the Rogers release. “I started this company in 2005 in Brock Township to ensure that the community had reliable Internet. Over the years, the need for our services grew, and we continued to expand our network to service more communities. As we looked to the future and the investments we wanted to make in our communities, we made the decision to join the Rogers team.”
“Over the past 15 years, Dan and the incredible team at Ruralwave have been a cornerstone of the community, delivering reliable Internet service and exceptional service to its customers,” said Ron McKenzie, senior vice president, technical operations at Rogers, in the release. “Today, we are excited to welcome the Ruralwave team to the Rogers family and start our journey to grow the local network and ensure more homes and business have access to the latest technology now, and in the future.”
While Ruralwave currently offers broadband, TV and home phone, look for those services to be migrated to Rogers Ignite. “Over the coming months, the companies will work together to identify opportunities to offer local customers additional Internet and entertainment services, including Rogers leading IPTV service, Ignite TV. Rogers is committed to helping Ruralwave on its home expansion plans to connect even more neighbourhoods now, and in the future,” reads the release.
