YELLOWKNIFE — Far north wireless and Internet provider SSi Micro is asking its SSi Mobile and Qiniq Internet customers in Nunavut for help as it contends with the reality of limited capacity on its shared satellite backbone at a time when an increased number of people are working at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a notice sent to its SSi Mobile and Qiniq customers, SSi Micro says it is “vitally important that we all consider ‘social solidarity’ and adopt an intelligent and responsible approach to the use of precious network capacity to ensure essential communications services remain active and available to all. This means conserving data wherever possible to reduce congestion among the users in your community and across the network in general. For example, try to avoid sending large files or streaming video at peak daytime or early evening hours.”
While many Internet service providers in southern Canada have announced the removal of data caps and overage fees to help customers now working from home, this is not a prudent option for SSi Micro, it says. The companies making unlimited data usage available to their customers have the advantage of access to a fibre backbone where capacity is far less of an issue, SSi Micro notes.
“In Nunavut’s 25 satellite-served communities, such initiatives are simply not advisable. While SSi continues all efforts to augment backbone capacity into Nunavut, solutions are not yet in place. As a result, providing significantly increased or unlimited data usage across a backbone with limited capacity will only serve to increase traffic congestion, slow down current connectivity and frustrate all users,” SSi Micro says. “We remain committed to ensuring that our network continues to perform for all customers, regardless of where they live of what their economic circumstances are.”
SSi Micro says it hopes the COVID-19 pandemic will not severely affect Nunavut (as of this writing none of the Canadian Territories have reported a case of the virus), but it is still planning for all scenarios. The company says it is “currently developing new and unique customer solutions and strategies to protect the most vulnerable in our communities and to ensure essential Internet and mobile services continue. We will announce these new measures as they come available, and if and when required.”
