Jack Decker note: News from our neighbors to the north, east, and (if
you are in Downtown Detroit) south. Maybe something like this could
be used to provide phone service to the East Lake area, and other
parts of northern Michigan that are presently unserved! Of course if
Vonage will work over satellite broadband (albeit with noticeable
latency - you can't repeal the laws of physics nor exceed the speed of
light) then it's probable that other VoIP companys' service would
also, and I am hopeful that at least one of the commercial VoIP
providers will be able to offer numbers in the Upper Peninsula real
soon now (and it's not Vonage).
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/December2004/20/c7153.html
Vonage(R) Canada and Galaxy Broadband bring VoIP phone service to
isolated Canadians
Remote oil drilling rigs, lighthouses, and fishing lodges connect to the
outside world with innovative satellite broadband and Internet telephone
service
MISSISSAUGA, ON, Dec. 20 /CNW/ - Vonage Canada, the country's
leading provider of broadband phone service, today announced a
partnership with Galaxy Broadband Communications, a leading provider
of two-way high-speed Internet access via satellite, to offer
Canadians in remote locations a more affordable, reliable and
potentially life-saving link to the world.
Galaxy Broadband provides broadband Internet access through its
network of satellites to remote logging camps, oil drilling rigs,
fly-in fishing and hunting lodges and any Canadian who is otherwise
disconnected because of location. The agreement with Vonage Canada
will allow those isolated work locations or homes to connect Vonage's
broadband phone service to the high-speed network, ensuring reliable
communications to company headquarters, family and friends.
"Our customers are traditionally beyond the reach of land-based,
high-speed Internet access," said Rick Hodgkinson, president and CEO
of Galaxy Broadband. "Communications is often very spotty with our
remote customers, with little or no cellular phone coverage, where
people literally have to climb the nearest hilltops to try and get a
signal. Reliable connections are critical to many remote operations
like drilling rigs in the middle of nowhere, in case of emergency or
other safety considerations. Vonage's service piggybacks on Galaxy's
high-speed connection so remote workers and homeowners have an
instant, reliable link to the outside world, and at a significantly
less cost than cellular or satellite telephone service."
Galaxy Broadband tested nearly 10 VoIP services in 2004, selecting
Vonage because of its reliability and call quality. Galaxy will make
the Vonage service available to its 400 certified reseller partners
across Canada.
Remote Canadian homeowners, branch operations and small business
owners can choose an area code from 14 major centres in six provinces,
including Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal and
Halifax. Customers can also obtain a secondary "virtual" number from
any available area code in Canada and the U.S. served by Vonage.
International virtual numbers are also available from Mexico and U.K.
Broadband phone service, or VoIP, works by turning voice calls
into data packets and sending them over the Internet. When the data
packs approach their destination, they are reassembled, and delivered
in the form of a traditional call.
"Voice over IP brings communications to people who would otherwise
be disconnected from the world," said Bill Rainey, president, Vonage
Canada. "The simplicity of Vonage's service allows any remote
homeowner or business with high-speed access to bridge the distance
gap and take advantage of this breakthrough technology that is
changing the way Canadians make and receive phone calls."
Vonage Canada's partnership with Galaxy is another step in its
strategy of widening its distribution channel with Canadian resellers
whose customers are looking for an affordable, full-featured phone
service that leverages the power and ubiquity of the Internet.
About Vonage(R) Canada
Vonage Canada is redefining communications by offering consumers
and small businesses an affordable alternative to traditional
telephone service. The fastest growing telephony company in North
America, Vonage's service area encompasses more than 2000 active rate
centers in over 125 North American markets, including six Canadian
provinces.
Vonage is sold directly through http://www.vonage.ca and retail
partners such as STAPLES Business Depot and RadioShack Canada. With
more than 350,000 lines in service within North America, Vonage
continues to add more than 30,000 lines per month to its network. More
than 10 million calls per week are made using Vonage, the easy-to-use,
feature-rich, flat-rate phone service. Vonage Canada is headquartered
in Mississauga, ON. For more information about Vonage's products and
services, please visit http://www.vonage.ca or call
1-877-272-0528. Vonage Canada is a trademark of Vonage Holdings Corp.
About Galaxy Broadband
With more than 25 years experience, Galaxy Broadband
Communications Inc. specializes in providing satellite-based Internet
solutions for consumers and businesses throughout Canada. For more
information about high-speed Internet virtually anywhere in Canada,
visit http://www.galaxybroadband.ca or call 1-877-463-9728.
For further information: Duane MacDonald for Vonage Canada,
(416) 924-5700 x4043; Patti Jordan, Vonage Canada, (416) 907-6157,
patti.jordan@vonage.com
Lisa Minter (lisa_minter2001@yahoo.com)