First-ever local phone competition arrives in Iqaluit

Iristel brings choice, lower prices and advanced telephone services to Canada's most isolated capital; Iqalummiut can even keep their existing business and residential phone numbers

IQALUIT, Aug. 6, 2013 /CNW/ - Consumers and businesses in Nunavut's capital on Baffin Island can now keep their existing phone numbers and move to Iristel's advanced phone network for significantly less than what they are paying currently for their local telephone services.

"Our network serves customers from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and all the way up to the Arctic, and it is safe to say we've never had so many enquiries, felt so much pent up demand for choice as we've experienced in Iqaluit," said Samer Bishay, President and CEO of Iristel Inc. "We're delighted to extend our network to Iqaluit and offer a vast array of advanced services at lower pricing than the local residential and business communities are accustomed."

The new local phone service is being sold in Iqaluit through Iristel's local agent, Qikiqtaaluk Information Technology Corp. (QITC) at 867-979-3292 or directly from Iristel at 1-866-779-IRIS (4747).

"Residential customers can cut their local service phone bill in half and businesses can save significantly on office telephone systems and monthly service fees," said Maged Bishara, Iristel's Vice-President Operations and National Sales. "It's simple to change, simple to use and everyone can keep their existing telephone numbers."

For example, Mr. Bishara said, a business can get a multiline PBX telephone system hosted by Iristel in the cloud and be able to avoid paying up to $20,000 in upfront hardware costs, in addition to the regular running expense of running the telephone system. Monthly telecommunications services will also be drastically reduced by providing more cost effective telephone lines and long distance plans, such as for example, never again having to pay long-distance charges for internal inter-office company calls.

Iristel, which has been licensed since 2000 by the CRTC as a CLEC (Competitive Local Exchange Carrier), now brings to Iqaluit telecom services such as Virtual Faxing that automatically converts paper faxes to digital and delivers them as email, Video Conferencing, Hosted Telephone Systems, IP Trunking and Wholesale Services.

Other consumer benefits include features like Call Waiting, 3-Way Calling and Voicemail to email. Iristel service includes free Visual Call Display, free Caller ID and free Caller ID blocking with no activation fees, hidden charges or contracts.

"It is exciting to finally provide these services in Iqaluit, and better link all Iqalummiut to the rest of Canada and the world," Mr. Bishay said. "Iqaluit, once known as Frobisher Bay, has played and continues to play an important role in the development of Canada's North and having 21^st century phone services can only further such development, especially for growing industries like tourism."

About Iristel:

Iristel is Canada's largest and fastest-growing carrier providing innovative communication services that are changing how consumers and businesses communicate. We offer our OTT, Voice Service Provider and Carrier customers a full suite of domestic and international Local Voice, Wholesale Voice, 911, SMS and Platform services that are supported by Iristel's unified VoIP and GSM networks. Founded in 1999, Toronto-based Iristel operates Canada's largest facilities-based local voice network extending Coast-to-Coast-to-Coast as well as Ice Wireless, a GSM carrier with operations in Canada's Far North. For more information, please visit us at: www.iristel.com.

SOURCE: Iristel Inc.

Bob Brehl
Media Relations
[email protected]
T: 416-800-0010