Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
Upgraded wireless service have some Fort Simpson residents eager to get the latest cellphones.

Inder Kanwal, left, and Amanda Leask with NorthwesTel were on hand in the Northern Store in Fort Simpson from Dec. 17 to 18 to answer questions about the new 3G wireless service in the community, and to sell new handsets and plans. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

Two NorthwesTel employees had a station set up in the Fort Simpson Northern store on Dec. 17 and 18 where they were providing information about the new 3G high-speed packet access (HSPA) wireless service in the community as well as selling new handsets and plans.

"Crazy busy," is how Amanda Leask, a manager of distribution channels and retail standards with NorthwesTel, described the response in the village. "People want the iPhone."

Leask and her co-worker activated 10 phones on their first day and talked to approximately twice as many people. She expected to see the same numbers on Tuesday.

The 3G HSPA wireless service began running on Dec. 17 in the village. Previously, NorthwesTel was offering a 2G code division multiple access (CDMA) service. The new service brings with it a number of benefits.

Customers will be able to use the latest wireless devices, tablets and smartphones, including the Apple iPhone5 which previously wouldn't work in the village, said Curtis Shaw, the vice-president of marketing with the company. The 2G CDMA network worked for texting and calling as well as sending and receiving e-mails, but wasn't fast enough for video transmission.

The new service has data speeds 60 to 70 times faster, which means that mobile Internet, video streaming and other data-intensive applications can now be used in Fort Simpson.

"It gives customers a lot of mobility," Shaw said.

The new service is also compatible with many more phones. Previously, NorthwesTel was only selling three or four handset types in the village. Some iPads also have 3G chips so they will now work around the village.

"At the end of the day it gives customers a bit more choice, a lot more flexibility," he said.

To provide the service, NorthwesTel installed additional equipment on its microwave tower located at the edge of the village. This also means that cellphone coverage has been extended. Customers should now be able to consistently use their phones as far away as the Fort Simpson airport, said Shaw.

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.