Bell upgrades still on schedule

The Bell upgrades in Fort Frances are on schedule and should be available before the end of the month.
“On March 26, businesses and residents will be able to purchase those new services,” Norm Berberich, Bell Canada’s rep, confirmed from the company’s headquarters in Toronto.
Technicians currently are completing the final stages of the new service.
The new switch, which includes new software as well as new electronic equipment is now installed, with information being downloaded into the system.
“They are loading directory numbers into the switch and just verifying that those numbers match up with existing phone numbers,” noted Berberich.
Bell then will begin testing all the calling features, such as long distance access and * features.
“I’d say it’s about 90 percent complete in Fort Frances,” Berberich said.
Town phone lines will be switched onto the new system around midnight on March 23.
The upgrade, part of a $5-million service improvement for Rainy River District, is expected to give the area’s 12,680 subscribers a number of new services.
Customers in Fort Frances, Emo, Devlin, Bears Pass, Mine Centre, and Nestor Falls should have access to desktop video-conferencing, credit card verification, and high-speed file transfers through Bell’s ISDN MicroLink and ISDN MegaLink, as well as data transfers and videoconference transmissions through Centrex Data.
Bell also will offer Centrex Data and Voice Mail-Call Answer in those municipalities.