WestNet in the News

Bloomberg reported on WestNet's continued city-wide Wi-Fi subscriber growth during Calgary's oil-boom era, confirming the network's expansion into new communities and documenting WestNet's position as Calgary's longest-running independent wireless internet provider. Read more

The London Free Press, reporting on the growing free Wi-Fi trend in Canadian cities, cited WestNet as the operator of one of Canada's earliest free downtown Wi-Fi systems — noting it had been running since 2002. Abdul Traya was quoted: "People love it. Tourists use it to find maps, locations and stuff on their iPads." Read the article

An eight-page profile of Abdul Traya and WestNet Wireless — 17,500 subscribers, adding ~500 per week, entirely self-funded with no debt, 6 full-time and 11 contract staff. Described as "the Wal-Mart of wireless." Telus spokesperson: "He might be on to something really interesting." Plans for Toronto expansion outlined. Read the feature

WestNet joined the CCTS as a participating telecommunications carrier, giving subscribers an independent dispute resolution path equivalent to Bell, Telus, and Rogers customers. Read announcement

In direct response to TELUS Mobility and Bell Mobility charging for incoming SMS, WestNet pledged it would never implement such a fee. Federal Industry Minister Jim Prentice contacted Abdul Traya during this period. Read release

Traya, 25, publicly called on Industry Canada to create separate spectrum tiers for smaller regional operators. The statement drew coverage from technology and telecommunications media across Canada. Read statement

The Mac Observer reported the resolution of the AppleiMac.com dispute between Apple Inc. and 17-year-old Abdul Traya of Calgary. Apple received the domain; the settlement amount was undisclosed, described in later accounts as "almost enough to retire on." The dispute settlement provided the early capital that financed WestNet's wireless network development.

Following the international attention generated by the AppleiMac.com dispute and settlement, Abdul Traya was interviewed by Time Magazine in June 1999 — cementing his profile as a notable young Canadian technology entrepreneur at age 17.

The dispute between Apple Inc. and then-17-year-old Calgary student Abdul Traya over the AppleiMac.com domain attracted international media coverage across television, print, and online outlets. Coverage included CNN, MSNBC, CBC News, CTV News, The New York Times, and CNET (front page of News.com). Traya also appeared on prime-time and late-night talk shows during the dispute. The case drew attention to both domain name cybersquatting law and to Traya himself as a young Canadian entrepreneur willing to take on one of the world's largest technology companies. See also: WestNet Press Archive — 1998 section