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Utilities: Broadband Penetration

Broadband Penetration Telecommunications Providers

Broadband services are available to the majority of Manitobans, including fibre deployment to most major office buildings and industrial parks in the province. The Manitoba government is working to ensure that all Manitobans, including those in remote areas, have access to broadband services by 2010.

Manitoba has one of the world’s most advanced fibre optic networking and digital switching platforms, with 100% digital switching throughout the province and over 200 switches to support the network grid - the third largest concentration in Canada.

Broadband providers include; MTS Allstream Inc.(MTS), Shaw Communications, Westman Communications Group, Telesat, and Manitoba Hydro Telecom. MTS Allstream is the dominant provider and has an extensive broadband network infrastructure that connects all major communities in Manitoba.

MTS has three fibre rings in Winnipeg and one in Brandon, and 100% digital switching throughout the province. Its network provides access to high-speed Internet to 85% of Manitoba households, making Manitoba one of the most broadband-enabled provinces in the country.

MTS has a 1xRTT wireless network that covers 97 per cent of Manitoba’s population. 1xRTT provides the capacity to support leading-edge high-speed wireless data transfer, picture messaging and WAP 2.0 – a standard which provides colour and enhanced graphics for Internet access over a cellular telephone. Additionally, in 2006 MTS launched its new 1xEV-DO (Evolution Data Optimized) 3G wireless network in Winnipeg and Brandon. This next generation wireless technology offers data download rates of up to 2.4 Mbps – with average speeds up to five times faster than currently available

Broadband Initiative (S.T.E.M.)