Judging by the
number of times the network “Shaw Open” is showing up during WiFi network scans
in Sault Ste Marie, it appears the roll-out of the Shaw WiFi network is going
extremely well.
In September, 2011 Shaw
announced it was cancelling its plans to enter the cell network
marketplace. In its stead, they proposed a WiFi network based on backhaul
connectivity through the company’s broadband network. In the industry this is known as mobile data off-loading
where data that would normally transit a cellular radio network uses a fibre
optic or other broadband network instead.
Recent studies show that the amount of off-loaded traffic is approaching
50% in some jurisdictions. This frees up valuable, and expensive, radio
spectrum for more real-time applications such as voice. It also means a user
does not need to use expensive cellular (mobile) plan megabytes to view data intensive
apps like videos.
Shaw branded their
product as Shaw Go WiFi.
The Shaw Go WiFi
consists of a large number of WiFi hotspots located throughout an area covered
by a Shaw cable plant. Shaw provides the hotspots free to all manner of
businesses, offices, public buildings, etc. in the target area. The ultimate goal is provide as complete coverage
of a locale as possible. The system is network agile which means it has the
capability to hand-off active connections between hotspots as long as they have
an overlapping electronic footprint. Sources
inform me that the maps of the WiFi locations have about a two week lag period
from the installation date until they show up on the map.
To access the
system, a user needs to be a Shaw customer, have a @shaw.ca email address and be registered through the Shaw Go WiFi
website. You can have more than one
device registered. A device is a cellphone, tablet, laptop or any other
hardware that can connect to a WiFi network. The number of devices a user can
register varies from as few as three to as many as 10 depending on the level of
Shaw Internet service you subscribe to. The details are available in the FAQ area
on the website.
The use of the
network is free but data usage is charged against the data cap in the plan the
device is registered under.
As noted, as of this
point in time, you can only use the system if you have a @shaw.ca account. If
you live outside the Shaw Internet coverage are, you are out of luck. There are
a couple of work arounds. One is to establish Shaw account within the nearest
coverage area. This can get a bit pricey as the cheapest Internet price is
$50.00, after the $30 introductory offer, for 125 GB of data. Another option is
have a friend or relation register your device on their plan and either depend
on their kindness to cover your data usage or offer to reimburse them based on your data
usage. In the above example the cost for data is 40 cents per gigabyte.
There is little
doubt that Shaw Go WiFi is an example of the direction mobile networks are
moving as data uses increase exponentially and radio spectrum becomes harder to
acquire and more expensive. While the
technology works very well in urban areas, it is less advantageous to rural
areas that do not have the underlying backhaul infrastructure or population
density.
