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IndustryTelecommunications15TuesdayMarch112014cascadegraphicsWemayhavechangedourlookbutwestillofferallthequalityproductsandservicesyouareusedtoplusmore.InternetservicecompetitionheatsupinYellowknifeByMEAGANWOHLBERGWithasuccessfultele-communicationsboardwinunderitsbelttheNWTssecondandonlyinternetserviceprovidertocom-petewithNorthwestelsmonopolyisboostingitsservicesstartingthismonthinYellowknife.NWT-basedSSiMicrolaunchedfournewinternetplansforYellowknifecus-tomerslastweekreducingentrylevelservicetothelowestpriceinYellowknifeandincreasingusageby300percentonitsstandardhomeplan.TheservicesrangefromtheSnowshoealightin-ternetuseplantotheIceRoadpackageforthosewhoneedtruckloadsofdata.TheDogTeamisthestandardpackagewhiletheBushPlaneoffersextrabandwidthfordownloadsandstreaming.Theexpansioncomesafterathree-yearlegalbattleledbySSitolowerthecostsofusingNorthwestelsbackboneinfrastructureintheNorthwhereithasamonopolyontelecommunications.NorthwestelwasrecentlyorderedbytheCanadianRadio-televisionTele-communicationsCommis-sionCRTCtoreducethewholesaleratesitchargescompetitorstouseitsfibrebackboneconnectingYel-lowknifetotherestofthesystem.Theyweresellingtotheirownretailcustom-ersgigabytesdataeverymonthatapricethatwasseventimeslowerthantheyweresellingtousonawholesalelevelsaidDeanProctorchiefdevelopmentofficerwithSSi.Thatwaswhatthenatureofthebat-tlewasaboutwastomakecertainthattheynotuseanassetbeingtheirmonopolybackboneforwhichtheyreceivepublicfundingtosqueezeoutcompetitors.Thatsanoutrightviola-tionoftheTelecommuni-cationsAct.AfterdroppingthecostsignicantlySSiwasabletoincreasetheusagecapforitsresidentialinternetplanfrom8GBto20GBatnocosttocustomers.ThoughanappealbyNorthwesteldelayedSSioncemoreinexpandingitsprovi-sionthosemattershavesincebeenclariedmeaningSSiwillbegraduallyimprov-ingitsservicesthroughouttheNWT.JeffPhilippfounderandCEOofSSisaidthetonsofmoneyspentonthelegalghtandthelossofcustom-ersduetoNorthwestelsoldwholesaleratesarenowworthitforbothcustomersandcompetitors.Faircompetitionworksacrosstheboardhesaid.Wellkeepghtinglevelingtheplayingeldoneserviceatatime.Proctorsaidbarriersstillexisttowhathiscompanycanprovide-includingback-bonepricesthathedliketoseecomedownfurther-butindicatedthatSSicontinuestochipawayatcertainareaslikemobileinternetandland-lineservices.Overthelastthreeyearswehaveacquiredspectrumtoallowustoprovidemo-bileservicesowellberoll-ingintothatandthatleadstosmartphonesandallsortsofinnovativeproductsProc-torsaid.Whenitcomestovoiceservicestothehomeandof-ceSSiwillsoonbeabletocompetewithNorthwestelforthersttimenowthatNorth-westelsmonopolyonvoice-thelastintheWesternworldtobeprotectedbyregulation-isbeingopenedup.Weactuallyhadtointer-venewiththeCRTCtore-questtheyopenuptheNorthtocompetitioninthevoicemarketandtheyagreedtothatProctorsaid.SowehavetoputinfacilitiesthatconnectwithNorthwes-telssothatourcustomerswhoaremakingvoicecallscantalktoNorthwestelcus-tomers.Thatinvolvesapipebackandforthbetweenournetworkssowereworkingtoputthosepipesinplace.AlsobecausethebattlewithNorthwestelwasoverallbre-servedcommuni-tiesSSiwillnowbeabletomovebackintotheremoteareasitwaspushedoutof.Upuntilnowtheonlybre-servedcommunitythatwehadwasYellowknifebecausethatwastheonlycommunitywecouldactu-allyaffordtoputontothebrebackboneandeventhatwasfartooexpensiveProctorsaid.Soothercom-munitiesinthesouthoftheNorththatareconnectedtobreyoucancertainlyexpectustobeexpandingintothem.Hewasunabletogivetime-linesbutsaiditwouldbedoneonamethodicalbasis.DespiteyearsofdelaysProctorsaidSSistuckwiththelengthyandcostlyprocessbecauseofitscommitmenttoNorthernersestablishedover50yearssinceitsfoundationinFortProvidence.JeffhasalwayshadapassiontomakesurethatthesmallercommunitiesintheNorthincludingtheonehecomesfromhaveserviceequivalenttoandevenbetterthanonewillndinsouth-ernCanadaorsomeofthelargercentresintheNorthProctorsaidofPhilipp.Sotheresarealpassionandde-terminationtomakecertainthatnocommunitysleftbe-hindintermsofadvancesintechnology.ImageSSiMicroTheteamofSSiMicroislookingforwardtoexpandingitsbroadbandinternetservicesinYellowknife.