Bell Canada, Nortel Launch Rural Project

CHAPLEAU, Ontario, July 14 -- Bell Canada and Nortel, and the town of Chapleau, Ontario, today launched Project Chapleau, an initiative to research the impact of advanced technology on rural and dispersed communities.

Project Chapleau will evaluate how technology stimulates economic, health-care, education and social activity in the community. The two companies will contribute technology and other resources to enable broadband access service in Chapleau and the applications necessary to implement it.

Chapleau is a Northern Ontario community of approximately 3000, about 320 kilometers northeast of Sault Ste. Marie. Chapleau's main industries are rail transportation and forestry; it is located within the Boreal Forest Region and the Arctic Watershed. The community is locally known as the gateway to the world's largest Crown nature preserve -- the 700,000-hectare Chapleau Crown Game Preserve.

Deployment of broadband access and applications in the community is expected to stimulate economic growth, social development and education. For example, new online tourism programs will help attract new visitors and businesses, access to new telemedicine will help Chapleau's network of health professionals improve quality of care, and broadband e-learning services will provide opportunities for students and teachers in local schools, the companies said.

Nortel plans to contribute wireless mesh, optical, voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) and multimedia communications solutions and to provide installation and professional services for the entire project. Bell Canada will upgrade its fiber network into Chapleau and will operate as the service provider for the town's new network.

For more information, visit: www.projectchapleau.sl.ca