Valley Community Fibre Network Launched
Students, businesses, municipalities and others in the Annapolis Valley region will soon reap the benefits of increased online networking opportunities and high-speed global connections.
Premier Rodney MacDonald and the board of the Valley Community Fibre Network launched the $3.2-million network today, April 3, at the Kingstec campus of the Nova Scotia Community College.
Provincial and federal agencies are partnering with two educational institutions and six municipalities along a 171-kilometre stretch from Halifax to Middleton to complete this community-owned and operated project. It will connect with FundyWeb, an existing community-owned network that extends from Middleton to Meteghan. The new network is expected to be operational by late fall.
"This is a key piece of infrastructure that will help attract new businesses, retain and grow current businesses, and enhance the world-class research and educational facilities in the Valley region," said Premier MacDonald.
In keeping with the provincial innovation policy to build critical linkages and infrastructure provincewide, the province has contributed $250,000 toward the Valley Community Fibre Network.
"The Valley Community Fibre Network will provide advanced connectivity that will enable the Annapolis Valley Region to develop closer community ties as well as enhance global outreach," said Madonna Spinazola, chair of the network. "It is an opportunity for municipalities to connect and attract businesses; enable exciting health and education projects; and to partner with carriers to offer broadband connectivity in under-serviced areas of our communities."
Specifically, the project will help the Valley region attract and develop hi-tech and information sectors and will foster the growth and diversification of traditional industries.
To demonstrate a practical application of such a network, guitar students from St. Mary's Bay Academy in Weymouth, Digby Co., performed during today's announcement. In the spring of 2005 the students participated in remote guitar lessons from Acadia University using interactive videoconferencing. Using the FundyWeb community-owned broadband network, they were connected with their teacher within minutes rather than spending four hours in a round-trip commute. The Valley Community Fibre Network will allow such innovative initiatives to reach broader audiences with increased capacity in the region.
All users will be connected to CA*net 4, Canada's National Research and Education broadband network.
"The advantage of CA*net 4, is that it connects people, institutions and businesses within your region across Canada and around the world to bring the best in research, industry, education and health care to you, and from you to them," said Andrew Bjerring, president and CEO of CANARIE.
The success of this initiative is the result of a collaborative effort. Along with support from the province, funding has also been provided by CANARIE, Canada's advanced Internet organization, through Atlantic Canada Organization of Research Networks - Nova Scotia ($1,183,000); the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency ($863,040); the Municipality of the County of Kings ($227,349); Acadia University ($200,000); the Nova Scotia Community College ($200,000); the Municipality of the District of West Hants ($59,899); the Town of Wolfville ($21,257); the Town of Windsor ($16,826); the Town of Berwick ($10,907); and the Town of Hantsport ($6,440).