e-Hub.net’s Wireless Network Lets Stranded Passengers Communicate With Loved Ones After Apparent Terrorist Attack on US
MONCTON, NB and CALGARY, AB - September 12, 2001
Wi-LAN Inc. (TSE:WIN), an innovator of high-speed wireless data/Internet communications, today announced that the company’s advanced wireless Ethernet bridges were used by e-Hub.net to bring Internet access to the passengers of flights re-routed to the Moncton Airport after an apparent terrorist attack on the US shut down air traffic across North America, allowing these passengers to communicate with family and friends across the world by e-mail. The network, which was volunteered and engineered by e-Hub.net with computers borrowed from L’Université de Moncton, shared 12 Mbps between a dozen computer stations at the Moncton Relief Centre.
e-Hub.net was able to install this Emergency Broadband Data Network very quickly, using pre-configured wireless Ethernet bridges which they normally use for demonstrations and trade shows. Passengers lined up quickly, eager to use this network connection. Most sent an email concerning their whereabouts to all the names in their address book at once - a process that would have taken hours by phone. Others used ICQ to contact friends and family, or spent a few minutes watching news clips online.
"Wi-LAN is proud to play a part in e-Hub.net's efforts during this terrible situation," said Dr. Hatim Zaghloul, Chairman and CEO, Wi-LAN. "We are happy to know that our wireless products helped ease some of the worry these travelers and their loved ones were experiencing."
"We are glad that we were able to provide this wireless network to the Moncton Relief Centre," said Conrad Melanson, Senior Account Executive, e-Hub.net. "Until the flights resume, we expect that there will be high demand for Internet access, as passengers will want to read the email responses to their messages and keep the lines of communications open with their family and friends."
About e-Hub.net
e-Hub.net, Inc., founded in 1998, a privately held corporation based in Moncton, New Bruswick, Canada, is a leader in providing managed Web hosting services to the small and medium business market. The company’s hosting solutions are running on Linux, FreeBSD, Unix, and Solaris platforms. These solutions are backed by a broad range of managed services including e-commerce, system monitoring, backup and recovery, and system administration. In 1999, e-Hub.net has launched telecommunications solutions including Wireless Local Loops (WLL), Network Restoration, Stand-by Networks, Internet Networks, and LAN extensions providing data connectivity solutions. For more information about e-Hub.net and its products and services, visit www.e-hub.net.