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Keewaytinook MobileSioux Lookout – Ontario
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Tuesday, 8 November 2011, 11:02 AM
Keewaytinook Mobile (KM) is the new First Nation-owned telecom group delivering GSM cellular and data services in remote and rural communities across northern Ontario. The KM consortium is working in partnership with Keewaytinook Okimakanak’s Kuhkenah Network (K-Net) and other partners to develop this service.
Coverage
The KM prepaid mobile wireless service works on the KM Community Network and in the DMTS / KM extended service calling area. As KM partners DMTS expand their regional GSM coverage throughout northeastern Ontario, KM pay-as-you-go subscribers can access the expanded service area.
As additional First Nations develop local KM services, the coverage will continue to grow between the First Nations.
The airtime and long-distance per minute usage rates are higher when a customer is on the DMTS network.
Here is a map of the KM Community Network (as of October, 2011):
Our partners in the VideoCom project are conducting research on Keewaytinook Mobile. They recently developed a conference paper about KM’s development in Fort Severn First Nation. Fort Severn is a remote fly-in Cree community on Hudson Bay with a long history of community-led communications and technology development.
In November 2009, Fort Severn and its tribal council, Keewaytinook Okimakanak, established Keewaytinook Mobile (KM) service in the community. The paper argues that KM, as a community-owned and managed GSM cellular and data service, is an example of self-determination applied to telecommunications. It is also the result of a number of strategic partnerships that came together to address local needs and priorities. The paper includes a review of the history of Keewaytinook Mobile and its implementation in Fort Severn First Nation, and a study of how and why community members are using or not using the service. Click here to download this paper.
Here are two videos about the KM Cellular Development process.
Rates:KM offers a Pay-As-You-Go mobile phone service: no monthly bills, contracts, or other fees for services like Voicemail, Text Messaging and Call Display. Instead, users purchase rate cards at $10, $20 or $50.
- Users purchase a KM SIM card for use in an unlocked GSM phone.
- They are charged 5¢ / airtime minute for local calls within the KM network ( 10¢ / minute + 5¢ / airtime minute for long distance calls within the network).
- Outside the KM network, calls cost 20¢ / airtime minute within the DMTS extended network ( long distance is an addition 20¢ per minute).
- Text messages cost 5¢ per message or $4.00 per month for unlimited messages.
- Voicemail costs $2.50 per month.
For more information, visit the KM Rates website.