Computers Woodstock-based Barrett Xplore will have the contract to bring the Net to the final 10 per cent of the province

B1

Brett Bundale
Telegraph-Journal

Stumble Upon

del.icio.us

Digg

Facebook

Print

Email

Speak Up

The final swaths of rural New Brunswick without access to affordable high-speed Internet will soon be wired by Barrett Xplore Inc.

From the tops of silos and grain elevators, fixed wireless Internet will be beamed into homesteads across the province. And for those in a wireless "dead zone" satellite and cable Internet will also be available.

The announcement came as part of Premier Shawn Graham's State of the Province address in Fredericton Thursday.

"We are now finalizing an agreement with New Brunswick's own Barrett Xplore Inc. to deliver affordable high-speed Internet access to the about 10 per cent of New Brunswickers who don't have it," the premier said, adding that the deal is expected to create about 200 new jobs in the province.

The jobs will include installers, technicians and technical support staff to help trouble shoot Internet problems for customers.

Although more details are expected to be announced this week, Business New Brunswick Minister Greg Byrne said in December the province would have complete coverage within 18 months.

"We're hoping that in working with the company we can accelerate that timeline," he said.

Barrett Xplore is the country's largest rural broadband provider, with customers in every province and territory. The Woodstock-based firm is part of Barrett Corp., founded by Malcolm Barrett and now helmed by sons Bill and Ed Barrett.

In addition to Barrett Corp., the major shareholders in the private company are Sandler Capital, a private New York-based equity fund, and McKenna Gale Capital Inc., one of Canada's top independent providers of equity financing.

Allison Lenehan, executive vice-president at Barrett Xplore, said the company focuses on bringing affordable high-speed internet to Canadians that now rely on dial-up.

"We don't try to compete with the Aliant's and the Rogers' of the world," he said.

The cost of the high-speed service varies. For fixed wireless there is an initial charge of about $100 then the monthly fee is roughly $50, depending on the level of high-speed opted for, which includes the rental fee for any necessary equipment, Lenehan said.

Barrett Xplore's fixed wireless has speeds of up to 5.0 megabits per second, which is about 125 times faster than normal dial-up. The company's satellite Internet has speeds of up to 2.0 megabits per second, or 50 times faster than dial-up.

Barrett Xplore employs 430 people across the country with the majority - about 340 - in their head office and call centres in New Brunswick.

In an interview with the Telegraph-Journal in August, Ed Barrett explained that high-speed internet has become an essential service.

"Broadband communication is, and is going to be more so, critical infrastructure throughout the country and throughout the world.

"It will not be acceptable in future years, and some would say it's not acceptable today, to not have access to broadband, regardless of where you live or where your business is," Barrett said.

"We have the great good fortune to be in a business that, while we are accomplishing business results, because we bring broadband to non-urban Canada, we are actually doing a public good."

Barrett Xplore is expected to surpass $100 million in gross revenues this year and has ambitious plans to expand its business focusing specifically on under-serviced areas.