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Ice Wireless
Company type	Private
Industry	Mobile network operator
Founded	September 2005
Headquarters	Markham, Ontario, Canada
Areas served	Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut
Key people	Samer Bishay - President & CEO, Cameron Zubko - Chief Operating Officer
Products	4G/LTE mobility services, mobile broadband Internet, fixed line telephone
Number of employees	150
Parent	Iristel
Website	www.icewireless.ca

Ice Wireless is a Canadian mobile network operator and telecommunications company that provides 4G/LTE mobility services, mobile broadband Internet, and fixed line telephone in Canada's northern territories: Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Nunavik, Quebec. The company's corporate headquarters are located in Markham, Ontario.

History

Ice Wireless was launched in 2005 to serve rural and remote communities in Northern Canada. The network was first developed in the community of Inuvik, Northwest Territories, a base for oil and gas exploration located approximately 100 km (62 mi) from the Arctic Ocean and 200 km (120 mi) north of the Arctic Circle. The network was the first GSM system in Northern Canada, originally designed as a "small cell" system that could be scaled down and economically deployed to rural and remote communities. Due to the scalability of its technology, Ice Wireless could offer mobility service in locations that could not be economically reached by larger telecommunications companies. Ice Wireless was the first to launch mobility service in Inuvik, Aklavik and Behchoko (Rae-Edzo) in the Northwest Territories. As customers increased, Ice Wireless expanded service to include Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.^[1]

In 2012, Ice Wireless announced a $12.4 million network upgrade to roll out 3G/4G Evolved High Speed Packet Access (HSPA+) across the three Canadian territories.^[2] As part of this upgrade, Ice Wireless launched a full range of telecommunications services, including 3G/4G mobility services, mobile broadband Internet, and fixed line telephone. Ice Wireless also announced a strategic partnership with Iristel, the largest competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC) in Canada and the first CLEC to enter Northern Canada.

In 2013, Ice Wireless became the first mobile network operator to launch 3G/4G services to Iqaluit, Nunavut. These services were launched using SES’ AMC-9 satellite.^[3] In 2017, Ice Wireless became the first mobile operator to launch LTE service to Iqaluit, Nunavut.^[4]

In 2019, Ice Wireless launched 3G LTE service in Kuujjuaq, Quebec and Quaqtaq, Quebec as part of a larger roll-out to all 14 communities of the Nunavik region of Northern Quebec.^[5]

The Ice Wireless network now extends across Canada's North and includes areas in the Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut and the Nunavik region of Northern Quebec.^[6]

Services

4G/LTE Mobility Services^[7]
Mobile Broadband Internet^[8]
Fixed Line Telephone^[8]

Retail stores

Ice Wireless operates its own corporate retail stores, and also conducts business through a network of agents that operate in each local market. Ice Wireless provides 24/7 customer care and technical support for its customers, as well as 9-1-1 service.^[8] ^[9]

Network

As a Mobile Network Operator (MNO) Ice Wireless owns and operates communication towers, facilities and radio access network equipment in all three Canadian territories.^[10]^[7]

Ice Wireless provides UMTS wireless services with HSPA+ for data, using its licenses on the 850 MHz/1900 MHz frequency band, also known as Personal Communications Service (PCS).

Ice Wireless is a member of the GSM Association (GSMA).^[11]

Coverage

Ice Wireless offers 4G LTE network coverage in Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Northern Quebec.^[7]^[12]

City or Town	Territory	Service
City or Town	Territory	4G/LTE	Internet
Whitehorse	Yukon	Yes	Yes
Inuvik	Northwest Territories	Yes	Yes
Tuktoyaktuk	Northwest Territories	Yes	Yes
Norman Wells	Northwest Territories	Yes	Yes
Yellowknife	Northwest Territories	Yes	Yes
Dettah	Northwest Territories	Yes	Yes
Behchoko	Northwest Territories	Yes	Yes
Hay River	Northwest Territories	Yes	Yes
Fort Smith	Northwest Territories	No	No
Iqaluit	Nunavut	Yes	Yes
Kuujjuaq	Quebec	Yes	No
Quaqtaq	Quebec	Yes	No

Roaming

Ice Wireless customers may use smartphones and devices across Canada, the United States and internationally through the company's network of roaming partnerships, including Bell, Rogers Wireless, Telus, Vidéotron Mobile, and AT&T.^[13]

Smartphones

As of 2020 Ice Wireless offers the following smartphones for use on its network.^[14]

Apple iPhone (several models)
Samsung Galaxy (several models)

ICE home phone services

Ice Wireless offers the ICE home phone service, which provides customers with a home telephone line.^[15]

The Ice home phone is a small wireless device and provides telephone service to corded or cordless home telephones. The Ice home phone uses the Ice Wireless cellular network to operate and can be used anywhere in a customer's house or office that there is a wireless signal. The ICE Home Phone needs only be powered; it does not require the use of a home phone wall jack like traditional home phone service. The ICE home phone comes with a set of three VTech cordless phones at time of purchase.

Mobile Broadband Services

Ice Wireless offers two mobile broadband products that provide high speed internet service, wireless and home Internet. The wireless service comes with either an Aircard 763S that allows up to 10 Wi-Fi devices or a BEC 6300 modem, both with 4G/LTE download speeds. Ice Wireless also offers home Internet plans.^[16]

Relationship with Iristel

In 2012, Ice Wireless established a strategic partnership with Iristel, Canada's largest CLEC and VoIP service provider.^[17]^[18]

References

^ About Us, Ice Wireless Corporate Website. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
^ Corporate Overview, Ice Wireless Corporate Website. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
^ "CBC News- Smartphones Come to Iqaluit", www.cbc.ca, November 23, 2013. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
^ "Fierce Wireless-Ice Wireless deploys Parallel Wireless gear to connect unconnected Canadians", Fierce Wireless, August 3, 2017.
^ "Ice Wireless Launches 3G Service in First Nunavik Community", Nunatsiaq News, March 22, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
^ "Globe and Mail - Ice Wireless Ramps Up in Far North", www.theglobeandmail.com, June 25, 2013. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c [1], Ice Wireless Corporate Website. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
^ ^a ^b ^c [2], Ice Wireless Corporate Website. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
^ [3], Ice Wireless Corporate Website. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
^ [4], Ice Wireless Corporate Website. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
^ [5], GSMA Website. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
^ [6], Mobilesyrup. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
^ Ice Wireless Signs Agreement with Videotron to Expand Roaming Coverage to Quebec’s and Canada’s North. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
^ Devices. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
^ Home Phone. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
^ Internet. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
^ About Ice Wireless. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
^ [7], Globe and Mail. Retrieved June 9, 2016.