Access Communications

Access Communications
Co-operative, Limited
Co-operative
Industry Telecommunications
Founded 1974
Headquarters Regina, Saskatchewan
Area served
 Saskatchewan
Key people
 Jim Deane (President & CEO)
Products Cable television, high-speed internet, telephone
Number of employees
 300+
Website www.myaccess.ca

Access Communications is a Canadian cable television provider, operating in Regina, Saskatchewan and several other communities in Saskatchewan. It was previously known as Regina Cablevision Co-operative Ltd. but operated as Cable Regina from commencement of service in Regina in 1978 until April 2000, after acquisitions of cable television operations in Weyburn, Estevan and Yorkton and surrounding communities. Dial-up Internet service was first offered in September 1995. Cable modem broadband service followed in 1997. On February 7, 2007, Access Communications launched its primary line telephone service in Regina in direct competition with Saskatchewan's government-owned ILEC, SaskTel. On July 1, 2009, Access became Saskatchewan's largest cable provider with the purchase of Persona Cable's operations in Saskatchewan.

The co-operative's establishment in the 1970s came about only after a prolonged legal and constitutional battle between the federal government and the province of Saskatchewan's social democratic government, which had differing visions of how cable television service should be delivered to citizens of the province.

Services

Access offers the following services:

  • Internet access, including dial-up and high-speed via cable modem
  • Analog, digital, high definition television, PVR, PPV and VOD
  • Telephone
  • Home Security
  • Web hosting, both for subscribers and commercial entities
  • Access7, a community television channel

Access is one of the few ISPs that officially list support for the Linux operating system, as well as providing resources to Linux users.[1]

In December 2016, Access Communications signed an agreement with the Western Hockey League to televise the Regina Pats and other WHL teams on Access7 for three seasons.[2]

Telephone

Access' digital phone service operates on a device called an ATA (Analog Telephony Adapter) with a built-in cable modem. The modem communicates over cable lines to a private IP (Internet Protocol) network. In this sense it can strictly be considered VoIP, in that it is voice delivered over an IP network. However, because it travels over dedicated lines and is still designed to be usable in a power outage scenario, Access Communications has attempted to distance it from the VoIP moniker. Instead, they have branded it as a "Digital Phone" service, and their marketing and customer service communications strictly avoid using the term VoIP.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Resources for Linux". Access Communications. Archived from the original on 2005-05-03. Retrieved 2007-02-26.
  2. ↑ "WHL & Access Communications announce new broadcast partnership". Western Hockey League. Retrieved 2007-05-05.


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