Canada's coldest capital could be the first to get blanketed in hotspots.
Iqaluit's small size means one hotspot — a free wireless Internet access point — covers nearly all of the community. A two-man computer networking shop that services businesses in the Nunavut capital of 7,000 has managed to cover the downtown core with just one hotspot perched atop the tallest building — an eight-storey high-rise apartment.
ComGuard CTS is offering the service free to anyone within sight of the antenna and has plans to expand according to demand.
The system was up and running April 6 and by this week had seen 118 log-ins, according to ComGuard's David Fulgham.
"We foresee it picking up a bit," said Fulgham, whose preliminary testing consisted of his driving around town with an antenna on the roof of his vehicle to sample the service range.
Iqaluit residents already have access, for a fee, to high-speed Internet through telephone provider Northwestel or the Qiniq satellite network run by the Nunavut Broadband Development Corp. The corporation rolled out 25 wireless base stations across the territory last year.
But the connection speed of the free service isn't as fast as what's already available to paying home Internet subscribers, so the threat to other providers is minimal.
The wi-fi network is just the latest leap in a city that is increasingly wired. Some politicians are catching on to personal digital assistants, and cellphones are increasingly visible. On Tuesday, a man interrupted a harpoon-throwing contest, part of an annual week-long spring festival, to answer a call.
Users of the free service, who must have wireless network equipment built into their computers, see a splash page announcing ComGuard's offering and inviting them to log in for free.
After that, users are able to browse the World Wide Web through ComGuard's servers. They can also connect through a personal digital assistant, or other portable devices such as the hand-held Sony Game Gadget or the PlayStation Portable.
So far, the cost of basic hardware and labour has been negligible, and Fulgham and his partner hope to cover future expenses by featuring local advertising on the splash page.
But private business advertisers are few and far between in Iqaluit, so ComGuard has also approached the Nunavut government about sponsoring the service and making use of the splash page for public service announcements in return.
If advertising revenues don't cover the cost, future services might.
ComGuard plans to sell e-mail addresses and is also prepared to install, at a price, more antennae in cafes that want to lure web-surfing customers.
It also plans to bring the service to Iqaluit's growing suburbs, which now sprawl onto the tundra in all directions away from Frobisher Bay.
There has been the odd glitch, but at least one bug has already been worked out. ComGuard has added a clear plastic dome over part of the hardware on the high-rise after the previous cover was eaten by ravens, which frequent Nunavut's capital.
"The things you have to do to protect against 20-pound birds," wrote Fulgham on his support website.
