Staff
The Town of Fort Frances will be getting a new phone system.
Town council last night awarded a contract for the supply and installation of a new phone system, and related network infrastructure, in eight town facilities to Teleco Landline of Thunder Bay for a total cost of $197,900.
The town began reviewing its options for replacing the phone system after a major failure of the system at the Civic Centre last August.
A request for proposals was sent out for the full replacement of the phone system, including all associated handsets, servers, and related infrastructure, in the Civic Centre, Public Works, museum, children’s complex, airport, water treatment plant, Memorial Sports Centre, and library as these systems all currently are interconnected and of varying age and condition, Chief Building Official Travis Rob wrote in a report to council.
Five firms—Teleco Landline, NRM Telecom, SmartIP, Telecom Options, and Bell—responded, and representatives attended a site visit here last month.
Teleco Landline was selected as the preferred supplier.
While Teleco was the most expensive of the proposals, Rob noted the firm is proposing the installation of a dedicated point-to-point communications network connecting all sites “for a more robust network and providing additional redundancy for the phone system.”
“Teleco discovered what the working group suspected—that our current network does not have the capacity between all sites to handle voice and data currently,” he explained.
“Teleco proposes that the new point-to-point network may be able to be utilized for data in the future after the implementation of the phone system seeing improved connection between some of the sites currently plagued with slow network speeds,” Rob added.
Another aspect of the proposal for the new phone system was a review of the current lines under contract with Bell, with the aim being future savings for the town by removing those not needed with a new system.
Teleco anticipates a possible savings of 75 percent (roughly $19,000 per year) by reducing lines and setting up a better calling tree to provide improved customer service, said Rob.
Teleco has retained local firm Triple A Contracting to help in the installation and provide ongoing warranty service.
“Triple A have provided services and support to the Town of Fort Frances in the past, and have provided very good quality service to the town,” noted Rob.
Also at last night’s meeting, council awarded a $3.95-million contract to Makkinga Contracting & Equipment Rentals of Thunder Bay for the road reconstruction, and watermain and sewer replacement, on Colonization Road East to be done this summer.
