Municipal Partnership Brings High Speed Internet to Smoky Lake

January 26, 2024 — The Town of Smoky Lake and MCSnet are pleased to announce a partnership that will provide high speed internet to town residents.

Town Passes Motion

At its December 21, 2023 meeting, Town of Smoky Lake Council passed a motion to allow MCSnet to co-locate on three of its towers including at the Town office, the Agriculture Complex, and the Public Works Shop/Firehall at no cost.

In turn, MCSnet agrees to provide internet services to the current Town internet customers with no cost to switch and a no-term contract. The Town will provide its current internet customers with information on how to contact MCSnet and have their services switched over. The transition of services will take place in February.

Public Information Night

A public information night is being hosted by the Town and MCSnet on Wednesday, February 7 from 7:00 – 8:30 PM at the Curling Rink Lounge. We encourage existing Town internet subscribers to attend, as well as any other town residents.

New Public Wi-Fi

MCSnet will also provide free public Wi-Fi Hotspots to the CN Station (155 West Railway Drive), Curling Rink (57 White Earth Street) and Drop-In Centre (124 White Earth Street) in Smoky Lake in the months to come.

“This partnership is a win-win for MCSnet and the Town of Smoky Lake,” says Jerico VanBrabant, CEO of MCSnet. “By co-locating on their towers, we will be able to reach a large majority of the community with our GigAir services and upgrade their current customers to gigabit speeds.”

Mayor Amy Cherniwchan agrees. “We have been working towards a high speed internet solution for our residents for some time. We believe this partnership provides the infrastructure for MCSnet and the access to high speed internet for our town without any cost to taxpayers.” 

GigAir in Smoky Lake

MCSnet launched GigAir in Smoky Lake last year. It is a wireless technology that provides speeds up to 1000 Mbps down and up. For more information on GigAir and to sign up, visit https://mcsnet.ca/internet/gigair

For more information, contact:

Rhonda Lafrance

Rhonda joined MCSnet in 2019 to lead the rebranding and marketing for the Alberta-based internet service provider. She is now part of the senior leadership team and as the Chief Marketing Officer, she oversees all marketing, sales, business development, and sponsorships/donations for the company. As a former newspaper editor, constituency office manager, and school board trustee, Rhonda understands the importance of communities and building relationships. Rhonda also owns a small business with her husband and has lived in the St. Paul area for over 27 years. She has two young adult sons.