How Wink Wireless looks after its network and the people it serves
The view from the camera atop Wink Wireless’s communications tower in Brisco is amazing, showing the beauty of the Columbia Valley and the mountains beyond. But spectacular scenery is not what the camera is there for. Instead, it’s one step that this internet service provider (ISP) has taken to keep its equipment up and running in case of situations like wildfire or power outages, and to—potentially—help protect the community at large.
Based in Brisco, Wink Wireless has six towers in the Columbia Valley, enabling it to offer affordable, high-speed internet service in communities from Harrogate to rural Radium Hot Springs.
“Because we’ve had some near experiences with wildfire in the past,” says founder and owner Warner Einer, “we thought that this was an excellent opportunity to try to prevent situations that would disrupt our communications.”
With Columbia Basin Trust supporting wildfire-readiness upgrades for ISPs across the Basin, Wink Wireless did three things:
Wildfire Mitigation
First, it cleared debris, trees and other potential wildfire fuels around each tower and its corresponding communications shack, and around its network operations centre, which is where the Wink Wireless network is controlled.
“The internet is a vital communications link,” says Einer. “In order to keep it running at 100%, we wanted to reduce the risk of a wildfire creating an issue. Should a wildfire come close to us now, it should avoid the actual tower and the communications shack.”
Improved Power
Second, it improved the power supply at all sites, including by adding new solar power components, backup battery UPS (uninterruptible power supply) systems and propane-powered generators.
By doing these upgrades, Wink can maintain internet service during long-term outages. Now, whether a power outage is caused by a wildfire, a storm or any other event, “Instead of maintaining power for an hour or maybe two, we can go almost a whole week. The tower will still maintain service.”
Observation Cameras
Third, it mounted live-streaming observation cameras near the top of each tower. These can rotate 360 degrees to observe the surrounding landscape, and can zoom in for a closer look. They can also tilt down to view the base of each tower.
“If we see a hazard—a spot fire or anything like that—that would be encroaching on one of our tower locations and the communications shack, we can take some action for it. Come wildfire season, we’ll be monitoring the cameras very closely.”
Working With Others
Wink Wireless is also more than willing to share the information it gleans from its cameras with relevant authorities, such as the BC Wildfire Service. This might involve reporting a potential new wildfire, or monitoring a wildfire that is already known.
This possibility has already been tested. In 2025, a Wink Wireless customer called to report a fire. Using the tower cameras, “We were able to zoom in on the area that was on fire.” After further investigation, Einer was able to find out that this was a series of prescribed burns organized by the BC Ministry of Forests, and therefore the public needn’t worry. But, “This was kind of a test for us.”
Wink Wireless has also had discussions with Columbia Valley Search and Rescue. “They want to increase the range of their radio communications network,” and are interested in putting repeaters on the ISP’s towers. “We’re quite open to that,” Einer says. “We’re a very community-minded operation.”
Its top focus, though, is keeping its internet service running for customers. Some storm-related outages have put this to the test. “Even during major power outages, our new, improved battery back-up systems are maintaining communications,” Einer says.
As long as the Wink Wireless customer has a generator on their end—which many folks around here do—they’ll still be able to access the internet. “This is a huge plus for them,” Einer says. “I give great thanks to Columbia Basin Trust for allowing us to be able to do this work and to improve the reliability of our network.”
