CANARIE looks at Internet’s growth

An optical network dedicated to Internet traffic may sound futuristic, but not for people who work at Canada’s advanced Internet development organization. At CANARIE Inc, it’s an obvious solution to the current bandwidth and technical limitations of existing telephone networks. With digital media applications and services becoming more widespread within both businesses and homes, it may be time for our 100-year-old telephone network to retire. Canadian NEW MEDIA met with CANARIE’s president and CEO Dr, Andrew Bjerring during the group’s recent Net2000 conference in Ottawa. He shared some details on what CANARIE’s plans and priorities are for the coming few years. CNM: What are some of CANARIE’s priorities heading into the next year? Bjerring: Our plans for the coming year is to see the projects we’ve already approved through the e-learning program successfully launched. Unlike in prior phases, there will be a great deal of emphasis on ensuring that those projects link to one another around a common vision. CNM: Will there be another funding round for e-learning applications? Bjerring: Towards the end of the coming year, we might be in a position to issue a second call for proposals, focusing on areas that we have discovered through the first projects or new proposals that come to light as a result of those projects. We will be building on the results of the first projects. In the e-business area, our first round of projects is going to be critical. We have a call for proposals in the virtual (ecommerce) clusters area, and we are looking forward to seeking what the industry associations suggest. CNM: What other priorities has CANARIE identified that related to the Internet? Bjerring: The other area we’re going to be focusing on this year is the question of trustmarks for business-to-consumer confidence issues. All of the studies have shown that consumers are concerned about their interests being protected, and how complaints are handled in (this) environment. CNM: How do trustmarks work? Bjerring: There are commercial trustmarks on the market now and organizations will apply and show that they’re capable of meeting the requirements and the seal of confidence. The Better Business Bureau offers one, so that there’s an opportunity on the website to show consumers that their privacy concerns are respected by this website. There are a variety of competing seals, and there are no universal standards for consumer projection in e-commerce activity. What we’re looking at, in cooperation with others, is the possibility of developing a national standard for consumer protection of e-commerce activity and creating a trustmark for that activity which follows that particular standard. We’re also taking a shorter-term view. Not all of the commercial trustmarks follow a common set of standards, so it’s a matter of reviewing all of those trustmarks. So they are then in the position to use this additional seal – a seal of seals if you will – to show this is a trustworthy trustmark.... CNM: The build out of the national CA*net 3 (national optic network) is virtually complete. I’m already hearing talk of CA*net 4 (an Internet-only network). How far advanced are these plans? Bjerring: On the next generation network side, we looking at our current contracts with the (telco) carriers (for CAnet* 3) running out in July 2002, but that’s sometimes the amount of time that you need in order to get all your ducks in a row for what you’re doing after that. The critical issue is going to be what the architecture is, with the very high demand for Internet services anticipated. If the kind of network services we are experiencing now becomes commercial mainstream within the next five years then the core of the (telecom) network has to scale dramatically. And we’re not talking a factor or two or three or four but a dramatic change of scale.

CANARIE looks at Internet’s growth

News | 07/12/2000 4:00 am EDT

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