Primus Meet & Greet With Local Businesses

Angela Mouly Reporter

Primus executives met with several local business representatives, thanking them for their support and providing an opportunity for open communication. Some attendees discussed their satisfaction with the improved service, while others who may be interested in signing up and still had concerns were able to approach the company directly.

Jim Dawson, the Primus Vice President of Western Canada, said their partnership with Alberta Broadband Networks will help them achieve the goal to have fibre internet delivered to every residence and business in the Town of Vermilion.

“In a smaller town like Vermilion there is no better marketing than word of mouth, so the best thing we can do is provide a good service; one they can tell their neighbours and their friends about. With any fibre project you can run into some operational and process issues that don’t run perfectly out of the gate. This opportunity allows us to mitigate them and ensure a smooth experience going forward,” said Dawson.

Primus Account Manager, Jason Hackman said, “This is a huge opportunity for our organization. Any time you can be part of something from scratch, you can have an impact on people’s lives and how they operate. Rural Alberta has really suffered from a lack of broadband; even those close to Edmonton who have were primarily related to the availability of the service.

“The initial roll-out is one size fits all, but now we are able to customize service where needed for higher dedicated bandwidth speeds, managed Wi-Fi networks, and phone service. Some drivers that may encourage businesses to want to sign up could be cost savings, business efficiency, and scalability,” said Dawson.

Businesses can now choose 200MB/s, 500MB/s or 1GB/s options.

Hackman said, “We’re here to try to solve business problems; this is a longterm relationship and we want to help businesses maximize their potential.”

President of Pentacon Utility Services Inc., Chris Parchewsky, said they initially signed up for A-Net during their trial run so were one of the first businesses to get fibre internet to their shop.

“We’re on the edge of town and originally had a Telus Hub and it was too slow. It relied on cell service so if cell service was down that day, we couldn’t work. We do team meetings on Zoom, as well as online safety training and communication. With approximately 10 employees with people on their phones and five or six on computers, it was jammed at 15 MB/sec.” said Parchewsky. “We got the middle of the road package from Primus and are now receiving 500MB/s of matching upload and download speeds in every inch of our shop. Everything is seamless; there is no missing text messages at the back any type of computers, tv’s, or internet streaming services there is no buffering. We’ve had nothing but good things to say. With fibre being the way of the future and being the only fibre in town, it makes sense to have it for residential and commercial in order to keep up with all of the advancements in the future.”

Businesses can currently get up to 1 GB upload and download speeds, and they are even looking at developing a 2.5 GB option in the future. Hackman said if you have people uploading large files (such as blueprints) back and forth this will make a huge difference. A-Net Director of Commercial Operation, German Figueroa, said they will be bringing in more advanced Enterprise Class services for larger organizations as well which will allow more reliable, more secure networks.

“A managed network makes sense for a business with approximately 15 users because then you don’t have to spend money on IT. We can manage the system and make sure it is up; some things can be reset remotely,” said Hackman.

Dawson noted that in a managed network they would oversee components such as internet, switches, firewall, Wi-Fi, and security. They are looking to work with more people in the community in the future to help with installations and support issues.

Town of Vermilion CAO Kevin Lucas said, “Having Alberta Broadband and Primus here is proving that this partnership with the Town of Vermilion is solid, and that we will have a lifelong relationship with them moving forward.”

Any businesses in Vermilion interested in registering to receive Primus service, can call Jason Hackman directly at 780-701-5578.

When the clouds scuttle across the sky, Think of me for I am there.

When the wind whispers secret messages, Think of me for I am there.

When raindrops rest gently on your cheek, Think of me for I am there.

When the sun kisses your face with warmth, Think of me for I am there.

I am a part of you and you of me, Death only masks our earthly forms.

No longer earthbound and weary of limb, My spirit soars and i am free! It only seems that I am far away, But I am with you each and every day! Some day you and I will reunite, With rain and wind, with sky and light!

(This is dedicated to Jordon who is missed very much by his family and relatives.)