High speed Internet on the way

Two companies of the six service providers who submitted proposals for the project are now in contract negotiations to ensure that all interested Nova Scotian’s have access to reasonably priced high-speed Internet by Dec. 31, 2009.

But, according to Communications Advisor Mary Jane Fumerton for the Nova Scotia Economic Development, many won’t have to wait that long.

“Some people will have it very quickly,” she said, “they are not going to make those who are easy to do wait.”

People should start to see as early as Dec. company trucks in their area having peeks around and towers being built.

“All that is going to start simultaneously across the province once the contracts are signed at the end of Nov,” explained Fumerton.

Although they are going to start work in all zones at the same time, some areas are more ready than others within the zones and until the contracts are signed, the companies can’t say exactly where they are going to start first in each zone.

Bringing high speed Internet to everyone is the opportunities, Fumerton said but the big challenge is getting people to subscribe to the services.

“Students know and businesses know, but there is a lot of people that don’t have an idea because they haven’t had the opportunity to be exposed,” said Fumerton.

She encourages people thinking about high speed Internet to go to their nearest Community Access Point (C@P), for instance their local library to see what a difference there is.

“The education of the public is very important,” Fumerton explained. “What can it do for me? Why should I sign up? Every sign up leads toward sustainability for the provider.

Many rural and suburban households have been denied broadband Internet because of the low population and high costs to the service providers for getting them connected.

“They call it the digital divide between rural and urban and suburban because to make it affordable to go in for 20 people…to bury the cable and take the wires up to their doorsteps the cost would be just impossible. That is not just here but all over the world,” said Fumerton.

The broadband for Rural Nova Scotia project provides the infrastructure for service providers so they can have the capability to achieve the government’s goal.

“Once the infrastructure is there it is up to the provider to provide it and keep it going,” said Fumerton.

The two providers plan to divide the unserviced areas in the province and with the mixture of high concentration and low concentration; one should offset the other making the provider have a sustainable operation.

Governments from all over North America are watching a waiting to learn lessons from Nova Scotia.

“They are looking at how we are doing it and watching its progress and its success as well as its costs and waiting to see,” said Fumerton.