SSi officials say tenders will soon be issued for the construction of a 9.3-metre satellite antenna, to be contained inside a thin, inflated dome resembling a golf ball to protect it from snow and other weather elements. The company has retained Kanata-based project management firm LA Group to oversee the process, and plans to increase its local workforce from four employees to approximately 15. SSi has collocated equipment in an Ottawa Business Park facility for the past eight years, says SSi president and chief technology officer Jeff Philipp. However, as SSi's network grew, the firm increasingly relied on its Ottawa uplink and concluded last year that it required its own facility.
SSi specializes in extending broadband Internet service, whether by satellite, fiber or wireless, to remote areas all over the world. The firm has a presence in Africa and Indonesia, where Mr. Philipp says SSi was one of the first companies to enter following the 2004 tsunami. About 18 months ago, the company started looking at expanding into South America, using the Ottawa teleport as a stepping stone. However, those plans were delayed by last year's financial crisis, the timing of which Mr. Philipp calls "quite fortunate" for the company. "It meant we could put South America on hold for a year or two without losing any real market share."
In the meantime, the company beat northern phone company and incumbent vendor Northwestel for a contract to upgrade the Nunavut government's IT systems. The deal is reportedly worth approximately $5 million for the initial work, and $2 million to $3 million annually for maintenance. (Source: Ottawa Business Journal)