Good news for those in remote and rural Canada. Naskapi Imuun and OmniGlobe Networks signed agreements that creates Canada’s first national cellular service provider equally owned by an Aboriginal partner. The new joint-venture known as Lynx Mobility Inc. combines leading technology and innovative business models to deliver cellular phone services to small un-served communities in remote and rural Canada. Lynx Mobility was officially launched by Philip Einish, President of Naskapi Imuun and Jason Neale, OmniGlobe Networks’ CEO at the Assembly of First Nations during the 29th Annual General Assembly in Quebec City. Established under federal legislation in May, 1999, Naskapi Imuun is a for-profit corporation that is wholly owned by the Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach (the “Nation”). The Nation is a First Nation located northeast of Schefferville, Québec, with a population of approximately 850 registered Indians.
Naskapi Imuun and OmniGlobe Networks researched providing cellular telephone services to First Nation communities and remote regions in Canada last year. Statistics revealed that the total market opportunity is approximately seven percent of the country’s population, an estimated three million potential subscribers. The two companies collaborated combining OmniGlobe’s technical expertise in delivering fixed and mobile wireless services over a satellite infrastructure, along with Naskapi Imuun’s proven expertise in installation, administration and management of remote telecommunications services. They then developed a viable low-cost solution for remote and rural communities. A key differentiator in Lynx Mobility’s offering is its business model; it provides a sustained partnership arrangement with local communities, enabling them to locally brand and manage their own cellular network and offers a long-term sustainable solution for its citizens, with revenues generated to be shared within the community.
Lynx Mobility has already been generating a lot of interest in several northern communities across Canada. A first demonstration site has successfully been deployed in Kawawachikamach of northern Quebec, and enables local residents to establish local and long distance calls. Lynx Mobility now plans to extend the coverage to three additional neighboring communities in and around the Schefferville area. Other sites are also expected to become operational in the fall of this year.
