Craig Wireless Systems Ltd is selling one quarter of its wireless spectrum for $80 million to a Bell Canada/Rogers Communications joint venture.

The deal with Inukshuk Wireless Partnership, which is jointly owned by Rogers and Bell Canada, represents all of Craig's spectrum licences in Manitoba and British Columbia.

Inukshuk began as a pre-certified fixed WiMAX network intended to promote high-speed wireless broadband delivery to remote areas. The service is still in place, but has received only modest attention by the big players, in part due to uncertainty about the underlying technology.

The Inukshuk broadband wireless network is at present largest of its kind in the world, covers a number of markets in all territories, and features non line of sight working (NLOS) and self install modems.

However, part of the reason for the slow roll out is that 4G speeds can be delivered as part of Long Term Evolution, or LTE, off of cellular towers. This means that significant further investment in fixed WiMAX may not be necessary.

Earlier this week, Rogers partnered with TBayTel, based in Thunder Bay, Ont., to expand its higher speed data services from the Manitoba border to just west of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.

Bell and Telus have also collaborated to share infrastructure, such as transponder towers, in low-population areas when they rolled out their HSPA overlay network last year, which brought 3G speeds to their CDMA systems.

Craig Wireless said it will continue to own spectrum, or operate on leased spectrum, in the United States, Greece, Norway, and New Zealand. The company offers broadband Internet access, digital cable distribution, security and telecommunications solutions.