Access Communications

{{For|the former cable company in the Maritimes (now part of EastLink)|Access Communications (Nova Scotia)}}

{{redirect|AccessNow|the digital rights organization|Access Now}}

{{Infobox company

| name = Access Communications
Co-operative Limited

| logo = Access Communications logo.svg

| trading_name = Access Communications

| former_name = Cable Regina

| type = Co-operative

| key_people = Carmela Haines (CEO) Derrick Thue (CFO)

Craig Van Ham (CTO)

| industry = Telecommunications

| products = Cable television, high-speed internet, telephone, home security, broadcasting

| revenue =

| area_served = Saskatchewan

| num_employees = 350+

| foundation = {{start date and age|df=yes|1974}} (as Regina Cablevision Co-operative Ltd.)
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

| location = Regina, Saskatchewan

| homepage =

}}

Access Communications Co-operative Limited is a Canadian telecom cooperative based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The cooperative provides internet, cable television, telephone, smart home and security services to residential and business customers in 235 Saskatchewan communities.{{cite news |date=2022-12-31 |title=2022 Annual Report |url=https://www.myaccess.ca/fileadmin/user_upload/135-1547_Access_Annual_Report_WEB.pdf |access-date=2023-01-31 |work=Access Communications |publisher=Access Communications}} Its primary wireline competitor is the provincial crown corporation SaskTel; it is one of two cable providers in Saskatchewan, with Rogers Xfinity (formerly Shaw) primarily serving areas such as Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, Saskatoon, and Swift Current.

History

Access Communications was established in 1974 as the Regina Cablevision Co-operative. After a prolonged legal and constitutional dispute between the federal and the provincial governments, which had differing visions of how cable television should be delivered in the province,{{cite web |url=https://www.broadcasting-history.ca/history-canadian-broadcast-regulation |title=The History of Canadian Broadcast Regulation |publisher=The Canadian Communications Foundation |access-date=2020-01-30 }}{{cite web |url=http://summit.sfu.ca/system/files/iritems1/5948/b1531392x.pdf |title=The effects of federal-provincial negotiations on regulation: case studies in Manitoba and Saskatchewan |last=Walker |first=Jane |publisher=Simon Fraser University |date=1984-06-07 |access-date=2020-01-30 }}{{cite book |last=National Film Board of Canada |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=unFZAAAAMAAJ |title=Access, Issues 9-14 |publisher=National Film Board of Canada |year=1972 |page=52 |access-date=2020-01-31 |quote=Cable to Become a Public Utility by September 1972 }} the co-operative was granted a Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) licence for broadcast in 1976 and began providing cable television services as Cable Regina on February 14, 1978.{{cite web |url=https://www.myaccess.ca/about-access/discover-access/ |title=Discover Access - Access Communications |publisher=Access Communications |access-date=2020-01-31 }} More than 24,000 households in Regina signed up for cable services in its first years of operations.{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEmBQwW04Ao |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/uEmBQwW04Ao |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Access Communications: 40 years in Saskatchewan |publisher=Access Communications |date=2018-07-31 |access-date=2020-01-31 }}{{cbignore}}

After nearly two decades focusing solely on cable television and local broadcasting, the co-operative launched dial-up internet service in September 1995 and cable modem broadband service followed in 1997. Cable Regina diversified and extended its reach into other areas of the province in the 1990s through the acquisition of other cable television providers in Regina Beach,{{cite web |url=https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/1995/db95-568.htm |title=ARCHIVED - Decision CRTC 95-568 |date=1995 |publisher=Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission |access-date=2020-01-31 }} White City, Weyburn, Estevan and Yorkton. On April 17, 2000, the co-operative's name changed to Access Communications. In the early 2000s, Access Communications merged with the Battlefords Community Cablevision. Primary line telephone services were launched in 2007.{{cite news |last=Kyle |first=Cassandra |url=https://www.pressreader.com/canada/regina-leader-post/20070607/282106337217960 |title=Vonage takes on SaskTel in Regina |work=Regina Leader-Post |publisher=Postmedia Network Inc. |date=2007-06-07 |access-date=2020-01-31 }}

Looking to further expand its presence in smaller communities, Access Communications purchased Persona's cable operations in Saskatchewan from Halifax-based Eastlink in 2009, becoming the largest cable television provider in the province.{{cite web |url=https://cartt.ca/access-buys-braggs-saskatchewan-systems-as-part-of-125-million-in-investment/ |title=Access buys Bragg's Saskatchewan systems as part of $125 million in investment |last=O'Brien |first=Greg |work=Cartt |publisher=Cartt.ca |date=2009-06-30 |access-date=2020-01-31 }} In 2015, Access Communications acquired Askivision and Saskatoon-based Little Loon Wireless; the purchase of the latter allowed the co-operative to deliver fixed-wireless broadband high-speed internet to rural areas in Saskatchewan.{{cite news |last=Johnstone |first=Bruce |url=https://leaderpost.com/business/access |title=Access acquires Saskatoon-based Internet and cable providers |work=Regina Leader-Post |publisher=Postmedia Network Inc. |date=2015-11-06 |access-date=2020-01-31 }}

Services

Access Communications offers cable modem and fixed-wireless broadband internet, cable television (digital and analog), telephone, home security and home automation.

=Internet=

Access uses a hybrid fibre-coaxial (HFC) network infrastructure{{cite web |url=https://www.myaccess.ca/news-storage/news-details/news/access-makes-surfing-streaming-and-gaming-easier-with-the-launch-of-internet-speeds-up-to-300/?tx_news_pi1%5Bcontroller%5D=News&tx_news_pi1%5Baction%5D=detail&cHash=4983ae9dc169e6e6a59da1a99e7fa066 |title=Access makes surfing, streaming and gaming easier with the launch of Internet speeds up to 300 |publisher=Access Communications |date=2019-07-02 |access-date=2020-01-31 }} to deliver its internet services, branded as AccessHyperSpeed. In March 2019, it announced that it is one of the internet service providers participating in the federal government's Connecting Families Program.{{cite web |url=https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/111.nsf/eng/00003.html |title=Participating Internet Service Providers |publisher=Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada |date=2019-08-20 |access-date=2020-01-31 }}

=Cable television=

Access distributes standard-definition and high-definition cable television programming, including digital cable. It offers digital video recorders such as TiVo, video-on-demand services and has implemented switched digital video (SDV) technology in many markets.{{cite web |url=http://myaccess.ca/residential/tv/ |title=TV - Access Communications |publisher=Access Communications |access-date=2020-01-31 }}

=Telephone=

Access Communications' digital phone service was launched in February 2007 and utilizes IP technology instead of a traditional landline. Such a system operates on an ATA (Analog Telephony Adapter) device with a built-in cable modem. The modem communicates over cable lines to a private IP network. In this sense, it can be considered VoIP, in that it is voice delivered over an IP network. However, because it travels over dedicated lines, it is still designed to be usable in a power outage scenario.

=Home security=

Access offers home security and home automation services. In 2016, an Alarm.com-based home automation monitored service was introduced. Subscribers can secure and monitor their property through web-based and mobile applications, as well as through Apple, Amazon and Google devices.{{cite web |url=https://www.myaccess.ca/security/smart-home/ |title=Smart Home - Access Communications |publisher=Access Communications |access-date=2020-01-31 }}

Broadcasting

= AccessNow TV =

Access operates community channels on its cable systems branded as AccessNow TV (formerly Access7), which have carried locally produced programs and events, including programs highlighting multicultural,{{cite web |title=Local TV show highlights Saskatchewan's thriving Filipino community |url=https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1448474179895 |access-date=2020-01-31 |publisher=CBC.ca}} Indigenous{{cite web |title=Four Aboriginal Women discuss topics on local TV talk show |url=http://www.firstnationsdrum.com/2016/09/four-aboriginal-women-discuss-topics-on-local-tv-talk-show/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170629213723/http://www.firstnationsdrum.com/2016/09/four-aboriginal-women-discuss-topics-on-local-tv-talk-show/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=June 29, 2017 |access-date=2020-01-31 |publisher=First Nations Drum}} and LGBT{{cite web |title='We like to do it in a fun way': Prairie Pride teaches viewers about LGBTQ community in Sask. |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/we-like-to-do-it-in-a-fun-way-prairie-pride-teaches-viewers-about-lgbtq-community-in-sask-1.4901577 |access-date=2020-01-31 |publisher=CBC.ca}} communities in Saskatchewan.

The channels adopted their current name in September 2020.{{Cite web |last=Canales |first=Moises |title=AccessNow TV now live |url=https://www.620ckrm.com/2020/09/06/267242/ |access-date=2020-11-03 |website=620 CKRM |date=6 September 2020 |language=en}} Its sports coverage includes broadcasts of the Regina Pats and other Western Hockey League games. Its first agreement with the Western Hockey League was signed in 1993.{{cite news |last=Schmöckel |first=Wanda |date=2015-03-24 |title=Talk of the Towns |url=https://thewalrus.ca/talk-of-the-towns/ |access-date=2020-01-31 |work=The Walrus |publisher=The Walrus}}

= Radio =

In April 2024, the members of Regina-based community radio station CJTR-FM accepted an offer to be acquired by Access; the station will relocate its studios to the Access headquarters in Regina and build synergies with AccessNow TV, while retaining its existing programming, staff, and volunteers.{{Cite web |date=2024-04-18 |title='Incredibly optimistic time' for Regina's CJTR after community station ownership transferred to cable company |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/cjtr-purchase-access-communications-1.7177130 |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=CBC News}}

Structure

Access Communications operates as a not-for-profit co-operative and its brand focuses on its community-based ownership, reinvesting its revenues on service improvements, as well as promoting and supporting local events and community organizations.{{cite web |url=https://cartt.ca/access-celebrates-national-co-op-week/ |title=Access celebrates National Co-op week |work=Cartt |publisher=Cartt.ca |date=2019-10-16 |access-date=2020-01-31 }} It has a charity, the Access Communications Children's Fund, as well as a scholarship program. In 2019, the co-operative supported close to 2,000 community groups and was recognized as one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers,{{cite news |last=Daily Hive Staff |url=https://dailyhive.com/toronto/canadas-best-diversity-employers-2019 |title=These are Canada's best diversity employers in 2019 |work=Venture Toronto |publisher=The Daily Hive |date=2019-03-01 |access-date=2020-01-31 }} one of Saskatchewan Top 100 Companies and was named a Caring Company by Imagine Canada in 2017.{{cite web |url=https://www.myaccess.ca/fileadmin/myaccess/storage/Common_Pages/AccessCommunications_AnnualReport2019_WEB.pdf |title=Access Communications 2019 Annual Report |publisher=Access Communications |access-date=2020-01-31 }}