Shaw Communications is opening its services to all Canadians to keep them better informed about the COVID-19 situation.
Paul McAleese, the incoming president of Shaw Communications Inc., released a statement about the company’s decision, saying the company is making available its Shaw Go WiFi, Canada’s largest WiFi network, to everyone, regardless of whether they are a Shaw customer. He added that Shaw does not have data caps on internet plans, meaning people will not face data restrictions if they need to work from home or communicate with their loved ones.
“We are watching the COVID-19 situation closely as the health and safety of our employees and customers is our number one priority. The crisis posed by the threatened spread of the virus has also revealed how much we all rely on our connectivity – whether to stay connected to our workplace, get in touch with friends and family, or to keep our families informed and entertained,” he stated.
RELATED STORY: Disney sends ‘Frozen 2’ to streaming for housebound families
RELATED STORY: Music industry feeling the effects of COVID-19 pandemic
As well, all Shaw Cable and Shaw Direct customers will now have access to a number of channels on free preview. To provide up-to-date information, the company is including CBC News Channel, CTV News Channel, CP24, LCN and RDI (subject to availability) as well as channels for children such as Family, Family JR, CHRGD and Treehouse TV.
McAleese said the company has made recent investments in its FibrePlus Network that put it in the lead among North American cable operators for broadband capacity.
“As a result, we are confident we are in an excellent position to manage network usage increases, especially within our major markets where we expect the largest increases to occur,” he said.
At the company level, Shaw, he added, has a plan to adjust to the situation. This includes asking employees who are feeling unwell, who suspect they might have been exposed to the virus or who have recently traveled outside of Canada for more than 24 hours to self-isolate for 14 days. The company is also increasing cleaning and disinfecting protocols at all Shaw offices and retail locations, as well as equipping all technicians and front-line agents with updated sanitizing and safety products.
At present, all retail locations continue to operate fully staffed, but Shaw is also encouraging any customer who needs support but cannot or prefers not to visit a location, to call them, use social media platforms or the MyShaw app to get in touch for service or support.
mike.chouinard@comoxvalleyrecord.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
