OTTAWA, March 3 — Communications Research Centre Canada, an Agency of Industry Canada, along with five partners, has announced a nationwide network designed to assist small and medium-sized enterprises in bringing wireless communications technology to the marketplace.

The Canada Network of Wireless Centres (CWCnet) will offer Canadian industry, especially SMEs, the opportunity to be part of a pan-Canadian network providing complementary services and support to meet their wireless business goals.

Participating SMEs will be provided with wireless network infrastructure for demonstrating and testing their products and services in a real-life environment — a step essential to quality assurance and successful commercialization. In addition, a broad range of services and support, including systems and applications testing, collaborative R&D, training, education and business support will be offered to SMEs by CWCnet's members. CWCnet is also capable of expanding with the addition of academic, industrial and/or government-based organizations dedicated to facilitating accelerated wireless industry growth.

An initial six CWCnet members will promote wireless innovation with a range of initiatives that may include information exchange, joint projects, facility/equipment sharing and personnel exchange. CRC, the Government of Canada's primary centre for communications technology R&D, will chair the CWCnet initiative.

The five other founding members, all leaders in the wireless field, are: the Network for Emerging Wireless Technologies (NEWT); the International Institute of Telecommunications (IIT); Telecom Applications Research Alliance (TARA); Canadian Centre for Marine Communications (CCMC); and Wireless Innovation Network of BC (WINBC).

Story @ The Globe and Mail