Valley Community Fiber Network

Fiber Network

Valley Community

Valley Community Fiber Network

What is it?

• Completed in 2008, the Valley Community Fibre Network is a community fibre-optic network running 175 Kms between Halifax and the Valley.

• Owned by 6 municipalities (Berwick, Hantsport, Kings, Wolfville, West Hants and Windsor), Acadia University, and the NSCC.

• Operated and managed by IAI under the direction of the VCFN Board of Directors.

Who uses the VCFN?• Acadia University - for access to research networks

via Dalhousie in Halifax.

• NSCC - to link Kingstec, and the Annapolis Campus to NSCC core services in Halifax.

• The Six Municipal Partners - use the VCFN for data communications and Internet access.

• Agriculture and Agrifood Canada – to reach research networks in Halifax.

Who uses the VCFN - Continued

• The Health Sector – to reach theValley Regional Hospital and the Hants County Hospital in Windsor.

• Three Commercial Users –to provide backbone data communications to their customers:

• IAI• Mainland Tel• …

• MSVU - for access to Internet and research networks via Dalhousie.

Who uses the VCFN – Continued (2)

• Rogers Communications – Rogers acquired a 20 year “Indefeasible Right to Use” six strands (of 72) in the VCFN in 2012.

• Rogers paid $1.2 Million to the VCFN for this IRU.

• VCFN extended laterals to several sites as part of this arrangement.

What is the VCFN Mandate?

• To provide high-speed fibre-optic backbone services to the eight partner organizations.

• To act as a tool of economic development by providing “metro area equivalence” for commercial and institutional customers in the Valley area.

• To provide an independent high-speed backbone service encouraging development of the digital economy in the Valley.

IAI Role• Operations of VCFN Network

• Includes maintenance, emergency restoral, operational monitoring, design and development assistance to users, operational liaison with users, operational liaison with utilities and right of way authorities

• Sales and Business Development

• Includes price models, business development activities, sales calls, liaison with government agencies, liaison with customers

• Accounting and Customer Service Management

• IAI keeps the VCFN books, issues invoices and receives payments, schedules and records Board meetings.

Municipal Users• Six Municipalities (Berwick, Hantsport, Kings, West Hants,

Windsor, Wolfville) are linked together on a Common Data Infrastructure built on the VCFN backbone by IAI.

• Inter-municipal IT Team (IMITT) explores and coordinates shared projects on VCFN Common Infrastructure.

• Shared services are now available (Internet, inter-municipal network connections, several pilot projects)

• Through IMITT, new service enhancements and cost savings are emerging.

Commercial Users• Mainland Tel is a Valley based commercial customer of the

VCFN network and has begun offering telephone services to customers in the VCFN area.

• Mount Saint Vincent University uses the VCFN for all their data-communications requirements.

• IAI uses the VCFN to reach a major customer in Bedford.

• HITS-NS (Health Information Technology Services Nova Scotia) uses the VCFN to transport data to the VRH and HCH sites.

Fiber Network

Valley Community

How do we get more of this

into this…?

huh?

i-Canada pushing ultra-broadband planBy: Howard Solomon On: 22 Jan 2013 For: ComputerWorld Canada Group wants a broad coalition from the public and private sector to come up with a plan so every Canadian home gets 1 Gbps Internet access by 2020With the long promised federal digital economy strategy nowhere in sight, a group of Canadian political, business and private sector leaders continues to push for an independent coalition to create the framework to build an ultra-broadband network.

The iCanada Alliance believes the country needs to offer the majority of residents Internet access with download speeds of at least 1 gigabits per second (Gbps) by 2020 – about 10 times faster than many Canadians can get now.

"The thought behind the 'GeekMove' is -- we have this gig fiber here – why wouldn't people who need that gig fiber want to come take advantage of it every day," Garrison said. "[It's] so rewarding when we do get those folks who are on board with us -- they want to be here in Chattanooga, and they want to come be a part of what's going on here."

Business leaders also hold summer-long competitions every year called the GigTank. Teams, made up of recent college grads and established entrepreneurs, receive $15,000 to participate in a 100-day program to develop new computer applications and improve business plans for existing companies. Past "GigTankers" created data sharing websites for scientists and language translating applications that could be used by businesses.

http://www.homesforhackers.com/

Stephen Wilsack, president of Innovative Systems of New Minas, NS, is an enthusiastic user of the DAIR Program. “We’ve been able to test and validate our product, a private broadcast/multimedia platform and social media system for the education and non-profit sector, on DAIR,” says Stephen. “It has accelerated our product development timeline and definitely saved us money.”

matt povah, town of hantsport & town of windsor

Mr. Fiber

chris norman, mainland telecom

bruce macdougall, I.A.I.

They are offering Internet television or IPTV and VDSL internet service over the same copper wires that they’ve been using to deliver DSL internet service for the last ten or fifteen years.The only difference is the within the Bell network they have increased the use of Fibre optics to enhance their infrastructure. This is a leap forward but, as a homeowner, you will never receive the true benefits of a fibre optic network until you have a fibre optic cable inside your home.