The Cape Breton startup aims to provide reliable Wi-Fi to rural areas
Robert (Ky) Coombes is on a mission to bring Wi-Fi to the rural community of Port Morien in northeastern Cape Breton.
Coombes started a company called Coastal Wireless in February. The vision of the Cape Breton University student is to make reliable and affordable internet services accessible to rural areas in the region.
He told Jennifer Ludlow about CBC Radios Maritime afternoon it all started when his cousin in Port Morien complained about internet service in the area.
Their conversation has been edited for clarity and length.
Maritime afternoon52:53Indigenous students helped build a new solar park in Neqotkuk First Nation. A university student hopes to bring better Wi-Fi to rural Cape Breton. And over the phone, two librarians help us sort through our summer reading lists.
We hear about a new solar park in Neqotkuk First Nation, built in collaboration with indigenous students. A Cape Breton University student hopes to bring better Wi-Fi to underserved rural areas. And over the phone, two librarians and our listeners share their top recommendations for great books to add to your reading list this summer.
Why did you want to start a wireless internet business?
It wasn’t so much the start-up of the wireless internet company, that’s how it happened.
But people from Port Morien and even surrounding areas have internet connection, but it is not affordable. It’s not fast and it cuts in and out.
So I looked it up one day because my cousin who lives there was complaining. And I said, “This might be possible.” So I started the business, got the permit to see if it was possible.
How did it go from talking to your cousin to when you said, “Okay, yeah, I’m going to start this myself”?
Like everything I do, it was 1am, I was bored and looking up how to register a company. I went and recorded it and then I looked up what else I had to do and I just went step by step until I got to where I am now.
What exactly do you have to do to become a wireless internet provider?
I thought it would be much harder, but it’s actually not.
You just need to register a company, go to the CRTC and say I want to start selling telecom.
They give you the license and from there you have to get an internet connection from another provider, and then it’s basically a glorified home internet, but you share it with everyone.
Did you get your driver’s license at the CRTC?
We have one, we are currently waiting for another, which should arrive in a few weeks.
Was that difficult to do?
It wasn’t actually that hard. The first license is the BITS [Basic International Telecommunications Services] license, so that’s the basis of it.
From there you have to get your resellers’, and that’s what we’re doing now.
But actually it is quite simple. I had to get an affidavit and I had to get a notarized deed. I had a professor at CBU who teaches me. She’s a lawyer. I asked, “Can you notarize this?” I was her first stamp.
Where exactly do you stand when it comes to being able to provide WiFi to homeowners?
It depends on many factors.
I need to get an internet connection from our provider and that may take a while. The next point is financing. It’s a niche market. There’s not much money for little boys like me.
I try to get an interest free loan if we can or just go to a bank to get a normal loan.
Do you already have internet from a reseller?
We’re in touch, but that’s all I can say at this point.
What more needs to be done now to get there?
It’s pretty much the infrastructure.
With wireless internet, you need a high place to beam the internet down.
So we’re looking around Port Morien, and I’ve got a drone, so I’m out there every day looking for an area.
There aren’t many high areas there, believe it or not.
A tower will probably have to be built somewhere.
My cousin has property on one of the higher sides of Port Morien so it doesn’t have to be too high. But that can cost a lot of money.
Why are you looking at Port Morien, is it just because you hear there are a lot of problems?
Port Morien just seems like the sweet spot where there’s a connection, but it’s not too good. And I have an area where I can put up a tower if I have to and I’m there almost every week.
Why don’t some of the bigger tech companies like Bell and Rogers offer this service yet?
There are several factors. It comes down to business and how they really want to work.
You recently spread the word about your business on social media. How has the reaction been?
I did it at 1am like everything else, but we were going to post something on Facebook and some people thought it was a scam at first.
Then I realized I had to put my name on something.
Many people are very interested in it. We have a newsletter that we’re going to launch soon and we’ve had about 50 emails there, people wanting to sign up.
Word of mouth is the biggest part out there.
Why is it important that people can have cheap and reliable internet?
Internet is becoming an essential service nowadays. Working from home has also become a very popular thing with COVID-19.
And many people from Port Morien actually work from home, and with a good internet connection they can continue that work.
Other factors like you can now start businesses online so that’s more money for that region. I think it’s important.
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