Planning for cellular service in remote First Nations
On Thursday, Sept 20, three members of the Kuhkenah Network team (K-Net) along with John Lyon of Lyon Wireless Inc, visited Keewaywin and North Caribou Lake First Nations. Click here to see some photos from the trip.
The trip provided the team with the opportunity to:
- meet with the community leadership to discuss the development of cellular service in their communities;
- examine potential sites for the local tower and cellular equipment;
- explore the various project requirements and expectations for all the parties involved in the development of this demonstration project; and
- clarify roles and responsibilities of project partners.
The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund is providing up to $1 million to support the development of this initiative (click here to see this NOHF funding announcement). Other funding sources are still being sought to complete all the different components of this project.
One important outcome of this demonstration project is the development of a business case that other remote and rural communities can use to develop their own community-based cellular service in partnership with other regional networks, such as K-Net.