Iridium Canada Communications Inc. has signed an agreement with Infosat Telecommunications making Infosat the national service provider for Iridium satellite-based personal communications services in Canada. Iridium will be the first mobile communications service to offer complete coverage anywhere in the world-including Canada’s polar, coastal and remote regions- offering voice, paging, data and fax communications. Iridium Canada is part of a global consortium which will bring Iridium services to Canadians in September 1998.
Infosat will market and sell Iridium products and services
everywhere in Canada, except the Northwest Territories, which will be
covered by a separate agreement. Infosat has an extensive
distribution network, with agents and distributors in major cities
from coast to coast as well as in key centres serving outlying areas.
In addition to providing sales training and support, Infosat will
ensure customer service as well as handle billing.
“Our agreement with Infosat is an important step to bringing
Iridium service to Canadians,” said Maurice Rompre, president of
Iridium Canada Communications Inc. “With more than 10 years
experience in providing specialized satellite services in Canada,
Infosat knows the market and has an excellent track record for
customer service and sales.”
Iridium Canada is the Canadian partner of the Iridium global
wireless communications system, which will enable subscribers to
communicate anywhere, anytime using a small hand-held telephone. The
Iridium system will simplify communications for business
professionals, travelers, engineers, foresters, residents of rural or
underdeveloped areas, disaster relief teams and other users.
The Iridium system relies on a constellation of 66 low earth
orbit satellites which route calls through space, rather than over
extensive ground structures. Already 41 satellites have been
successfully launched, including the last two sent into orbit on
December 8 from China.
“Iridium is the ultimate mobile communications solution and we
are extremely excited about marketing and developing the service in
Canada,” said Brian Nixon, president of Infosat. “Iridium will
offer people who need to stay in touch unprecedented freedom,
convenience, flexibility and reliability.”
Vancouver-based Infosat Telecommunications (a division of NAV
Communications Inc.) has been designing, installing and managing
satellite networks since 1986. Infosat offers satellite services for
radio, TV, international communications, and data networks.
Iridium Canada, formed in 1993 by BCE Mobile Communications, Bell
Canada International and Motorola Canada Inc., is an investor in the
global consortium that is developing and commercializing the US$4.7
billion Iridium system. In Canada, service will be offered through
Montreal-based Iridium Canada Communications Inc., which manages and
operates Iridium services and markets them in partnership with
service providers such as Infosat Telecommunications.
