Colbanet

Colbanet (founded in 1996) is one of the larger independent Internet Service Providers in Quebec, offering Internet via ADSL 2+, ADSL, and dialup. They also offer a few VoIP and long distance services via the Spectravoice brand.

Network Coverage

Headquartered in Montreal, ColbaNet can provide ADSL broadband to the vast majority of Ontario and Quebec, using Bell Canada's wholesale gateway access service. In Early 2007, ColbaNet launched their own network which uses their own ADSL2+ hardware in telephone central offices, in order to compete directly with Bell's higher speed offerings. ADSL 2+ Network (up to 24 Mbit/s) available in downtown Montreal with planned expansion to Toronto.

History

Colbanet began as mainly a dialup ISP, providing mainly 33.6k and 56k access in the late 90s and early 2000s. They also, like many providers, offered email, web hosting, and co-location. As broadband became more popular, they began providing ADSL by using Bell's wholesale network, like many independent ISPs do today in Ontario and Quebec. Using this system, the copper wires and central office equipment is entirely Bell-owned and operated, but independents like Colba still run their own servers and supply their own transit links. As such, they are not resellers , they simply rent a portion of the path to reach customers.

Enter-Net

Colbanet acquired the Enter-Net brand through acquisition of a part of CGI group, which also was in the ADSL, dialup, and web hosting, and consisted mainly of business customers. This allowed them to become one of the larger independent ISPs in Quebec, and along with the new ADSL2+ infrastructure, possibly the largest competitor to telephone (Bell) and Cable (Videotron) incumbent providers. Colbanet continued to sell products under the Enter-Net branding for a short time before merging the brand.

Colbanet has absorbed a number of smaller ISPs, and grows significantly by acquisition, but also investment in new infrastructure, as they were the first independent to launch their own ADSL2+ network.

Recent Acquisitions

• VoiPra IP-PBX Acquisition - last quarter 2008
• Spectravoice Communications - February 2006 - VoIP telephony - Acquisition of important intellectual property
• CGI Group - October 2003 - Internet Access division - formerly Cognicase. Acquisition of internet access division, ISP provisionning assets, Transfer of employees from CGI
• Generation.Net - July 2003 - Acquired Internet services division with customer base from Versus.

External links

• www.colba.net