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Fido Launches New Broadband Wireless Access

Posted by timothy on from the pant-pant dept.

bug-eyed monster writes "Fido is launching a new wireless internet service with 'Download at speeds of up to 2.2 Mbps,' in Richmond BC and Cumberland ON. It uses a special modem that plugs into a regular network card. The technology providers' websites, Microcell and Inukshuk, inform us that the service uses Multipoint Communications Systems (radio-based) in the 2500 MHz range. The modem can be used anywhere within Richmond and 'up to 2.5km away from any network base station' (no idea if it can also run on batteries). Of course, this is all torture for me since I live next-door in Vancouver, just out of reach of the network."

5 of 209 comments (clear)

  1. Visionary Company by IANAL(BIAILS) · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I'm more and more impressed with Fido as time goes on. For those of you who aren't on the West Coast of Canada, Fido's cell plan is something like $45 per month, unlimited local calls. I'm not sure what other cell plans are like in the US, but for Canada, Fido's the first to try anything like that... makes it easy to simply replace your landline with a cell for not much more $$.

    1. Re:Visionary Company by Feztaa · · Score: 3, Interesting

      You can switch SIM cards between providers on the same phone? Every time I talk about switching my fido SIM card into a roger's phone, they're always like "you can't do that" and whatnot.

      That's what bugs me the most about cellphones, each provider has their own network, and each phone only works on one network. I wish cellphones were more like the internet; it doesn't matter who your ISP is, they all connect to the same internet.

  2. I was just thinking the other day by teamhasnoi · · Score: 4, Interesting
    how cool it would be if everyone had a Wireless Access Point on their rooftop, and formed a p2p wireless mini-internet with no bandwidth restrictions and free for all (minus the cost of the hardware).

    No restrictions in dense areas such as urban centers, since you could always route around a full AP, and free as in not having to pay some ISP by becoming you're very own.

    I currently have the only AP for at least 4-5 blocks, it would be great if I had geeky neighbors who'd like to give it a try. I'm sure this idea is as old as dirt by now, but it was the first thing I thought of when I read this.

  3. Wow... by Zakabog · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I saw this -

    $20 per month for the first 6 months (regular price: $40 per month)

    and thought, damn that's really good for 2.2mbps down wireless internet, then I saw

    Monthly transfer: up to 20 GB (download) and 5 GB (upload)

    I wouldn't want any kind of internet that gives you limits. I don't know how often I'd use 20GB a month but I'm sure it's very often (lots of bittorent downloading, websites full of flash animations and streaming video, and even games.) If you play UT 2K3 for just 4 hours a day, 25 days a month (that's like coming home from school or work, and playing a few hours) that's around 2 gigs or 1/10th your total bandwidth, for something that uses hardly any bandwidth (around 5-6K/sec and remember there's also hundreds of mutators on like every server and then 10 meg maps.) And how's the upload speed? Latency? I dunno I like the idea of having a wireless ISP and it'd be really cool for a laptop, I don't think this should be uses as your main ISP alone.

  4. Sounds good to me. by Dekar · · Score: 4, Interesting
    "To enjoy iFido wireless high-speed Internet, all you need is a standard Ethernet card and Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP or Mac/OS/Linux/UNIX."

    The above sounds good, but I'm more worried about the small prints:

    "The monthly price is for data transfer of up to 20 GB (download) and 5 GB (upload). A charge of $10 applies per additional GB per month. If you didn't opt for a 24-month Fido Agreement, you're eligible for a smaller discount and your service must remain activated for 90 consecutive days."

    20GB/5GB should be enough for anyone really using it as a 2nd connection, but considering the price (40$/month after the 6th month), most people will want to use this as their primary connection and better watch out for extra charges (although people using cable might already be used to those transfer limits).

    The whole package seems like a nice deal anyway, but I'm kind of worried about the saturation of frequencies these days...