Network BC’s community success may be difficult to repeat, researcher says

Network BC is lauded as an example of a government program extending broadband access across an entire province, but its success might be difficult to repeat in other parts of the country, Catherine Middleton, Canada research chair in communications technologies and the information society at Ryerson University, says. “What worked in one province probably wouldn’t work elsewhere, especially now,” Middleton said in an interview. Network BC was created in 2005 after five years of planning. Its mandate is to bring broadband to 366 rural and remote communities in the province. Today, Network BC has connected 362 of the 366 communities with 10 Mbps broadband links. Prices for end users range from $30 to $60 a month. The organization has also connected 148 of the province’s 203 First Nations communities in collaboration with the All Nations Trust Company (ANTCO), an independent aboriginal financial institution that used government funds to build network connections. Since its launch, Network BC has run a number of programs involving municipal governments, non-governmental organizations and Internet service providers (ISPs) to extend broadband access. The province also worked with telecom service provider Telus Corp. to bring high-speed Internet points of presence—general network access points where Internet service providers (ISPs) house servers—into communities. Telus spokesman Shawn Hall said in an interview the province gave Telus extensions on government service contracts to help offset the $117-million cost of installing network access points in rural and remote communities. “It’s a great example of how government and private industry can work together,” he said. But Middleton said Network BC’s system of collaboration could be difficult to repeat in other parts of the country. She said that when Network BC launched, Telus was the primary service provider in the province, and it would have been natural for the province to work closely with Telus by extending existing government contracts to help fund broadband expansion. “I think that had just always been the relationship,” she said. Middleton said that, in the early 2000s, provincial governments usually extended their existing contracts with service providers largely because there were few alternative companies that met the requirements for a province-wide rollout. Today, it’s a different story. Across the country, there are more communications service providers competing for the government’s business. It would be a challenge for the government to cozy up to an incumbent the way British Columbia did with Telus, Middleton said. Telecom providers across the country are now using deferral account funds—set aside by the incumbent carriers during the last, inflated, price cap period—to expand broadband into rural and remote areas. Telus is getting ready to spend its deferral account money on broadband expansion in British Columbia. “We’re going to start connecting communities next year,” Hall said. Middleton said Network BC stands out because it has forged good relationships with the communities receiving broadband. “ effort made to encourage the community to find champions to actually build out the connectivity in the local regions,” she said. Middleton said Network BC was willing to work with any group, including municipal governments, councils, business associations and ISPs, to act as the community’s go-to organization for Internet connectivity. Mary McNeil, B.C.’s Minister of Citizen Services, said in an interview that Network BC’s ability to collaborate was key. “It can’t just be seen as governments coming in and doing this to a community,” she said, adding that broadband projects have to be joint initiatives involving government and communities. But Middleton said community engagement can also bring challenges. In some cases, communities created their own not-for-profit ISPs, sometimes having to train people who had little technical skills. “ it seems to work in B.C.,” she said. In October, Network BC announced that its Connecting Citizens Grant program will distribute up to $1.5 million to extend broadband services, handing out $50,000 per connectivity project. The organization is also investigating the provision of 100 Mbps links to communities to accommodate growing bandwidth demands, Wilf Bangert, Network BC’s executive director, said in an interview. McNeil said 93 per cent of the province’s residents have broadband access, adding that it will be a challenge to reach 100 per cent. British Columbia’s mountainous geography makes it more difficult to build networks than in flatter landscapes. “If we were Saskatchewan, we’d be done by now,” she said. “I think we’re going to get another five or six per cent, then the last bit will have to be done by satellite. That’s the most expensive.” McNeil added that financial constraints are always an issue. “You could go crazy on expenses, but there’s a limit as to the amount of money.” McNeil said broadband has helped revive some communities. Wells, for instance, was a gold-mining town until the 1960s when the mines began shutting down. Working with Network BC, the municipality installed broadband, and now businesses can advertise in a wider market. Local artists and gallery owners can showcase their works online, and local websites help entice tourists to the area—which received more than 100,000 visitors between May and September. news@thewirereport.ca

Network BC’s community success may be difficult to repeat, researcher says

News | December 14, 2010

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