Access Communications
Encyclopedia
Access Communications Co-operative Ltd. 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.
Access is one of the few ISP
s that officially list support for the Linux
operating system
, as well as providing resources to Linux users.
) 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.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
provider, operating in Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
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
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
service in Regina in direct competition with Saskatchewan's government-owned ILEC
Incumbent local exchange carrier
An ILEC, short for incumbent local exchange carrier, is a local telephone company in the United States that was in existence at the time of the breakup of AT&T into the Regional Bell Operating Companies , also known as the "Baby Bells." The ILEC is the former Bell System or Independent Telephone...
, SaskTel
SaskTel
Saskatchewan Telecommunications is a provincial Crown Corporation operating under the authority of the Saskatchewan Telecommunications Act. It is the only remaining Crown Corporation in the Canadian telecommunications industry....
. 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
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
and the province of Saskatchewan's social democratic government
Social democracy in Canada
Social democracy in Canada has been a political phenomenon that became a strong political force in the 1930s with the creation of the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation that later developed into the New Democratic Party in 1961...
, 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
Access is one of the few ISP
Internet service provider
An Internet service provider is a company that provides access to the Internet. Access ISPs directly connect customers to the Internet using copper wires, wireless or fiber-optic connections. Hosting ISPs lease server space for smaller businesses and host other people servers...
s that officially list support for the Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
, as well as providing resources to Linux users.
Telephone
Access' digital phone service operates on a device called an ATA (Analog Telephony AdapterAnalog telephony adapter
An analog telephony adapter, or analog telephone adapter, is a device used to connect one or more standard analog telephones to a digital telephone system or a non-standard telephone system....
) with a built-in cable modem. The modem communicates over cable lines to a private IP (Internet Protocol
Internet Protocol
The Internet Protocol is the principal communications protocol used for relaying datagrams across an internetwork using the Internet Protocol Suite...
) 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.