Submission to the Digital Economy Consultations on Behalf of the Nunavut Broadband Development Corporation

Submission

About the Nunavut Broadband Development Corporation (NBDC)

The Nunavut Broadband Development Corporation (NBDC) is a not–for–profit corporation set up to ensure that Nunavut residents can obtain affordable broadband services delivered by the private sector, that meets the public's economic, educational, social and cultural objectives.

About Nunavut

To understand the unique challenges of ICT in Nunavut, one needs to understand Nunavut. Nunavut is home to over 30,000 people, predominantly Inuit, in 25 communities spread over 2 million square kilometers of Canada's arctic. Communities range in size from under 200 residents (Grise Fiord, the northernmost civilian settlement in North America and smallest of Nunavut's communities) to over 6000 (Iqaluit, Nunavut's capital city). All communities are flyin; there is no terrestrial transportation infrastructure linking communities within Nunavut or linking Nunavut to the rest of Canada.

Nunavut has the highest birth rate in Canada and a very young population, with 35 per cent of the population under 18. The territory also has a growing economy, with a real GDP growth of 8% (in 2009).

With the launch of the QINIQ network in 2005, Nunavut was the second wide–scale Canadian deployment of non–line of sight (NLOS) broadband wireless technology (the first deployment was in Nunavik/northern Québec). The QINIQ network delivers affordable high speed internet services to all communities in the territory. Ka–band direct satellite internet (Netkaster, Xplorenet, etc.) is also available in some communities and NorthwesTel offers DSL service in the territory's capital.

All telecommunication services in Nunavut are satellite based, predominantly C–band. There are a handful of C–band communication satellites whose footprint covers Nunavut, and capacity on those satellites is now entirely allocated for the remaining lifespan of the satellites. This leaves absolutely no additional satellite capacity for future growth.

Theme 3: Digital Infrastructure

Recommendation 1: Renewal of existing programs that are ending in 2012–2013
On January 5^th, 2009, Infrastructure Canada and NBDC signed a 5–year Contribution Agreement which, when combined with matching funds from customers, constitutes an investment of $43,202,00. This investment, part of the National Satellite Initiative (NSI) under the National Priority category of the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund (CSIF), supports the development of satellite bandwidth management tools, the procurement of additional satellite capacity, and the upgrading of the terrestrial satellite networks for 25 communities in Nunavut. While this is a much–needed investment in broadband infrastructure and capacity in Nunavut, funds cease to flow after June 30, 2012. To date there is no replacement program. Without federal investment, the continued operation of the QINIQ network will be at risk and that would put internet access in the majority of Nunavut’s communities at risk.

Recommendation 2: Commitment to similar costs, coverage and access for all 25 Nunavut communities
From it's inception and throughout the deployment and operation of the QINIQ network, NBDC has always advocated for similar level and cost of service for all of Nunavut's communities. Without this commitment, only the larger communities would have internet access and the majority of Nunavut's communities and residents would not.

Regardless of the technology used to deliver broadband services in Nunavut, NBDC strongly believes that all of Nunavut's communities should have a similar level of service and at similar costs.

Recommendation 3: Investment in future satellite capacity
With current satellite capacity already allocated, there is literally no room for Nunavut to grow in the near–term. Additional satellites which footprint the Arctic need to be deployed to meet the growing needs of the region.

Recommendation 4: Explore the feasibility of fibre optic connectivity for Nunavut
With satellite capacity already allocated, long–term solutions for Nunavut need to be explored, including the feasibility of a fibre optic connection to the Internet, as a complement to or alternative to satellite–based Internet access. The costs and technical challenges need to be clearly identified and long–term benefits of fibre need to be assessed.

Recommendation 5: Enable cell service in all communities and on the land
Mobile computing is on the rise, and Nunavut should be no exception. Nunavummiut (the people of Nunavut) are increasingly travelling within Nunavut, Canada and internationally and need access to voice and data service where ever they may be. This service should reach beyond the communities' boundaries and be available on the land, where it can be of use to hunters wanting to contact family, check the weather, communicate with each other, request assistance, etc.

Theme 3: Building Digital Skills

Recommendation 6: Support for ICT training and education for unique Nunavut circumstances
Ensuring that broadband infrastructure and services continue to evolve and improve to meet the needs of Nunavut is a great challenge. Even more important, however, will be the challenge of ensuring that Nunavummiut have the training, education and support they require in order to take advantage of the full spectrum of opportunities. Broadband holds the promise of important advances in education, governance, public health, business development and a wide range of other opportunities. Without training, however, those opportunities may remain unrecognized, and the lion's share of employment benefits and business opportunities will go to southerners. This training needs to take into account the unique circumstances of Nunavut, including the technical realities of satellite–based communications, the geographic realities of Nunavut's small and widely–dispersed communities, and the importance of the Inuit language and culture.

Suggested URL: Nunavut Broadband Development Corporation