Iristel
Iristel is a Canadian provider of telecommunication services that is a competitive local exchange carrier. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Markham, Ontario.It provides a range of communication services, including Voice-over-IP, wireless solutions, and toll-free services. The company's network spans Canada and serves customers in over 70 countries.
Iristel has deployed multiple redundant switching facilities and points of presence nationally.
History
Iristel was established in 1999 by Samer Bishay.to offer advanced telecommunications solutions, initially focusing on VoIP services. The company was granted a carrier license by the Canadian Radio-Television Commission in 2004, allowing it to provide local phone services. Over the years, the company expanded its offerings and network infrastructure, becoming one of Canada's larger independent telecommunications providers. Iristel has domestic operator licenses in Algeria, Dominica, and Romania, with an additional 20 locations.Iristel launched its High Definition VoIP Telephone Service in February 2007. By May 2007, the company added Domestic and Global SIP Trunking and Hosted PBX to their enterprise VoIP services. Later in December 2007, Iristel began to offer dual mode Wi-Fi-enabled GSM to mobile phones.
In June 2008, Iristel began offering Iristel IP Mobility, a wireless IP service that combines VoIP over Wi-Fi/GSM, Single Number Reach and Fixed Mobile Convergence.
Iristel IP Mobility provides users with a single point of contact for fixed, mobile, and Wi-Fi calls. Users have a single phone number for both inbound and outbound calling across multiple devices. They can also switch calls back and forth between the mobile network and the VoIP network, without interruption to reduce cellular charges. Settings are configurable through an online portal. In February 2009, MTS Allstream, a wholly owned subsidiary of Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. and a communication solutions provider in Canada, chose Iristel to convert its Time-division multiplexing voice traffic to Internet Protocol.
Iristel has performed various interoperability tests with the most important VoIP hardware & software manufacturers: Polycom, Mediatrix, Avaya, Grandstream, Toshiba, 3CX Phone System, Snom and Yealink Network Technology.
In 2023, the company expanded its services to Kenya.
Acquisitions and partnerships
In May 2012, Iristel became a major shareholder in Ice Wireless,a mobile network operator serving northern Canada with wireless connectivity. In September, Iristel and Ice Wireless partnered with Huawei Canada to launch a 3G network across the three territories.Later in 2017,the company partnered with Kepler Communications to provide satellite-based Internet of Things connectivity in isolated areas. In October 2018, Iristel purchased Telecommunications de l'est, a company located in Eastern Quebec. TDE now integrates ImobileCa, an Iristel subsidiary created in May 2018 with the acquisition of ImobileCa by the Ontario company. The latter had a non-operating cellular license in eastern Quebec.
Operations
Iristel operates a telecommunications network with multiple Points of Presence across Canada, supporting voice and data services for businesses and consumers. The company provides Voice over IP infrastructure, including wholesale voice services, enterprise telephony, and residential communication solutions.Through its subsidiary Ice Wireless, Iristel provides telecommunications services in northern Canada, including the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. Ice Wireless operates a 4G/LTE network and offers broadband internet in these regions.
Internationally, Iristel operates in over 70 countries, offering services such as global voice termination, international Direct Inward Dialing numbers, and Mobile Virtual Network Operator solutions. The company maintains interconnections with multiple Tier 1 carriers.
Iristel provides core telecommunications services while also specializing in VoIP security and cloud-based communications.