VANCOUVER – GSM technology is coming to Northern British Columbia as Rogers Wireless said today it is making a $10 million investment in the region to build out the Global System for Mobile communications technology for its wireless voice and data network.
The network expansion will be along the corridor stretching from Prince Rupert to Prince George, one of the fastest growing areas in British Columbia.
The first phase of the network expansion will bring Rogers Wireless service to Prince Rupert and Terrace in November of this year, with the towns of Smithers, Kitimat and Hazelton to follow throughout 2008.
Among the many Rogers services that will be made available to customers in these areas are:
– data services on popular BlackBerry devices;
– mFleet, an innovative fleet management system that tracks vehicle
position and engine health in real time to increase operator safety
and vehicle economy;
– and Second Voice Line Service that allows customers to have two phone numbers on one wireless device – so that business people can have numbers from two different area codes such as 250 and 604.
"This northern B.C. route is a key business corridor, with dramatically expanding maritime traffic driving steadily increasing transportation volumes yearly along the highway and rail lines. And there is even greater growth expected with expansion of the ports in Prince Rupert and Kitimat," said Gordon Nelson, vice-president for Rogers in B.C. "Rogers will be bringing a choice to people living and working along Highway 16, including essential business tools such as wireless email and mobile Internet access."
There will also be a benefit to the burgeoning tourist industry, as visitors from overseas will be able to use their mobile devices on Canada’s only GSM network when travelling the popular northern route or making port in Prince Rupert on their way to Alaska. Rogers has data roaming agreements with wireless operators in 200 countries around the globe.
"What this means for businesses and residents in B.C. is that they will be able to take their Rogers Wireless services with them when they travel this expanding tourist, trucking and rail route," said Nelson. "And the investment we are making, in addition to the $20 million already invested in the network in Northern B.C. over the last 10 years, demonstrates Rogers’ strong commitment to B.C. and the west in general."
