The First Mile

Supported by the SSHRC-funded First Nations Innovation Project

Keewaytinook Mobile

Keewaytinook Mobile (KM) is the new First Nation-owned telecom group delivering GSM cellular and data services in remote and rural communities across northern Ontario. The KM consortium is working in partnership with Keewaytinook Okimakanak's Kuhkenah Network (K-Net) and other partners to develop this service.

Coverage

The KM prepaid mobile wireless service works on the KM Community Network and in the DMTS / KM extended service calling area. As KM partners DMTS expand their regional GSM coverage throughout northeastern Ontario, KM pay-as-you-go subscribers can access the expanded service area.

As additional First Nations develop local KM services, the coverage will continue to grow between the First Nations.

The airtime and long-distance per minute usage rates are higher when a customer is on the DMTS network.

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Here is a map of the KM Community Network (as of October, 2011):

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Our partners in the VideoCom project are conducting research on Keewaytinook Mobile. They recently developed a conference paper about KM's development in Fort Severn First Nation. Fort Severn is a remote fly-in Cree community on Hudson Bay with a long history of community-led communications and technology development.

In November 2009, Fort Severn and its tribal council, Keewaytinook Okimakanak, established Keewaytinook Mobile (KM) service in the community. The paper argues that KM, as a community-owned and managed GSM cellular and data service, is an example of self-determination applied to telecommunications. It is also the result of a number of strategic partnerships that came together to address local needs and priorities. The paper includes a review of the history of Keewaytinook Mobile and its implementation in Fort Severn First Nation, and a study of how and why community members are using or not using the service. Click here to download this paper.

Here are two videos about the KM Cellular Development process.

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