No SegaNet for Canada?

SonicAD has informed me that SegaNet will not be available in the following areas: Canada, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.  However, to be sure, I checked in with Dural of the DC Tech Pages, and who happens to live in Canada, said something a tad different:

SEGA did say that they will offer DC internet access for Canada at later date, like November.

SegaNet uses GTE Internetworking’s internet backbone that is entirely US based, so it’s understandable if someone says that SegaNet cannot be in Canada. GTE Internetworking, which is now called Genuity Inc, does have networking alliances with other companies, and has one with a Canadian company that has a network backbone that goes clear across Canada.

I forget the name of the Canadian company that Genuity has an alliance with, but I wonder if SEGA has to negotiate with that company to provide access, or deal entirely with Genuity.

If SEGA does not install routers in Canada, then their network would not be in Canada, but you still will be able to access SegaNet’s network in the states, as it will be a part of the internet.

I am sure that SEGA will offer some kind of access for Canadian residents, and it will be with SegaNet, even though we would not have the same access as American residents. Wonder if we would notice the difference though? SegaNet with the name, but not entirely SegaNet network, as we will be a few extra hops away from the US based SegaNet network.

I think SEGA wants to see if SegaNet will be a success in the states before spending the money to expand their network outside of the US. We will see.

So, as of right now, SegaNet in Canada might be up in the air, but if Genuity uses a Canadian alliance to Sega’s advantage, our friends up north should be happy as well.