Bell to spend $5 million on local upgrade

Bell will spend $5 million in Rainy River District to bring most of its residential and business customers the most up-to-date services available, Bell Ontario president Terry Mosey announced at a press conference at the Civic Centre here Wednesday afternoon.
“Starting with this announcement by Terry Mosey, we can now open our doors to future expansion and give our citizens the fibre optic capability they truly deserve,” Fort Frances Mayor Glenn Witherspoon remarked.
By March, 2001, customers in Fort Frances, Devlin, Emo, Nestor Falls, Bears Passage, and Mine Centre will be equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, giving them access to high-speed communication and a number of new services already offered in big-city markets across the province.
“Through this initiative, we will continue to offer our customers communication solutions that will bring them closer to those of their counterparts in southern Ontario,” said Mosey.
The services that will be offered in district include:
•Centrex Voice–a service that provides enhanced communication capabilities;
•Centrex Data–a digital dial-up service which provides 56 kbps of bandwidth enabling the placing and receiving data and video-conference transmissions (this service already is available in Fort Frances but will become more affordable);
•Voice mail and call answer–a digital answering service which can replace answering machines;
•ISDN Microlink–a high-speed dial-up service providing up to 128 kpbs of bandwidth, which enables simultaneous placing and receiving of voice, data, and video conference transmission used for applications such as desktop video conferences, credit card verification, and high-speed file transfers; and
•Megalink–a high-speed access connection for host computers such as Internet service providers, call centres, and distance education and tele-health applications.
“Our goal is to provide customers in Northwestern Ontario with products and services that will enhance their business potential locally and allow them to compete globally,” Mosey pledged.
Fort Frances town council and local businesses have been lobbying for quite some time to have the modern communication services provided in the district.
“We in the north have been on an uneven playing field when it comes to the latest in telecommunication,” argued Mayor Witherspoon.