Red tape slowing spread of high-speed wireless, says 6harmonics

A trio of formerNortelpatent holders say they've come up an innovative way to bring high-speed wireless internet to ruralOntario,but that theycan't get Canadian regulators to pay attention.

6harmonicsInc. isan Ottawa-based company that's developed technology to use"white space," the unused part of the television broadcast spectrum, to provide wireless internet access.

'Ideal for rural broadband'

"It's really good spectrumbecause it's at a very low frequency. The radio waves propagate far. It's ideal for rural broadband," saidSteveBeaudin, vice-president of radio solutions at 6harmonics.

The company builds high-tech antennas that access the white spacespectrum.

6harmonicsran a test pilot last summer inManiwaki, Que., and is now experimenting with the technology inCarletonPlace, Ont., where some people still don't have high-speed access,Beaudin said.

But according to6harmonicsCEO Robert Wu, they won't get past the pilot stage without regulatory changes from Industry Canada.

Still waiting for go-ahead

6harmonics's two biggest customers are Microsoft and Google, the companies that havehelped get their technology into other countries, but it's"still waiting for the green light" to bring the technology toCanada,Wu said.

"Ourgovernment has arural broadband stimulus program set up already," Wu said. "I think we just need government to accelerate the ratification process."

In April, the federal government unveiled its Digital Canada 150 strategy, which included a pledge to connect 98 per cent of Canadians to internet service fast enough for high-speed resolution video.

Industry minster James Moore pledged at the time that about $305 million would go towards enhancing high-speed internet services for some 280,000 rural and remote communities by 2017.