Local internet providers upset with County Council

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The smaller local providers, Nvisible Links of Wiarton, Packet-Tel (Kitchener), Grey Bruce Telecom (Allenford) and Maximum ISP (Sauble Beach) formed a consortium last year, known as Bruce County Communications Corporation, in an attempt to bid on the tender.

John Schnurr, owner of Nvisible Links and acting as spokesperson for the local group, said today (Jan. 18), "This decision by County Council was very unfair to local providers and goes against every funding intention that the Province set up to invest in local companies.

"The funding was to stimulate local businesses and the local economy. Giving it to Bell (Aliant) isn't putting it into the local economy," added Schnurr.  He goes on to say that he feels Bell will, in all probability, deliver Internet service using existing local microwave cell-phone towers.  "Consumers will access the service using a stick that fits into the USB port on a computer,  They think that they'll be getting it (service) for nothing, but they won't."

According to Schnurr, the consortium submitted a 650 page tender under sealed bid, following submitting a Letter of Interest requested by the IT Department of the County.  "Once we submitted the tender, the County had until October 14 to arrange an interview with us or to ask us any questions.  Normally, with a 650 page submission, there would have been some questions ... we heard nothing. 

Even the initial submission was flawed when an employee opened the sealed tender package when I dropped it off at the County offices."

Schnurr then alleged that, on October 15,  County Human Resources was contacted to find a consultant who would review applications for the contract, as the County IT staff head was apparently away on sick leave.  The consultant from Barrie, at a cost of more than $5,000, in turn, did not ask any technical questions about the group's submission and, according to Schnurr, he doubts if the consultant even read the consortium's 650-page submission.

"We [consortium] made a request to the County to see who submitted Letters of Interest and the bids," Schnurr points out, "but the County said we would have to bring an application under the Freedom of  Information Act.  We thought it was public knowledge and that the public has a right to know.  Guess not."

"In our opinion," he adds, "this is an abuse of the process and a waste of taxpayers' money.  The smaller companies will eventually be wiped out.  This is wrong and it is not what the funding was intended to do."

The consortium has filed a notice of appeal with the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) and is waiting to see what the County will do.

According to newly elected Bruce County Warden, Mike Smith, "We are fairly confident that we followed a fair and open process.  More than that I can't say at this time since the matter has gone to appeal and/or litigation."

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Monday, January 18, 2010