Manitoba Smart Connections

Connectivity And An Assessment
of Public Internet Access In Manitoba
(Part II of Connectivity in Manitoba)

Background

If one listens to the voices of the proponents of the Internet one could almost believe that the Internet is expected to do no less than transform society. For close to a decade our federal government has had many discussions centered on technology and much of that conversation has focused on getting all citizens online. In the early days nonprofit organizations led the efforts to connect, educate, inform and train communities on the social and economic benefits promised by the World Wide Web (WWW), while municipal, provincial and federal agencies fostered the development of projects like Connecting Canadians and Community Connections which aided many to be able to visualize those promises.

Now we hear claims of achieving success in providing Internet access to 85% of the population and for Government the focus has shifted from simply getting citizens online to Broadband connectivity. Currently our policymakers, regulatory agencies and telecommunication companies are in the midst of the decision making processes regarding the parameters that will ultimately determine if the adaptation of broadband is a basic tool or a luxury. However, few Canadians will be a part of the discussions that define, project and in the end implement a strategy regarding broadband, as these discussions will not have included public input. Hence, those that may be most impacted by any decisions made have not been part of the broadband discussion. It is encouraging that 85% of the population of Manitoba has Internet access, there remains:

That 15% or more do not have Internet, and many of these are in remote portions of Manitoba where a business case supporting services may never occur. Equitable access is still a major concern for Manitobans.

The quality of service to many is wholly inadequate for anything but the simplest Information Communications Technologies (ICT) applications.

Even the most basic Information Communication Technologies (ICT) must now include telephone service, personal computing, and computer networking. Although these technologies are becoming everyday conveniences for many Canadians, there are those being left out.  Disparities still exist in levels of access between rural communities, suburban residents and even some inner-city residents.

The goal of this paper is to disseminate information and offer guidance regarding public access, broadband and high-speed access from the many scattered but none-the-less important sources. The information will be focused on and benefit individuals who reside in Manitoba. Further, it is intended to encourage discussion and broaden dialogue with regard to the impact of access and access to true broadband.

The Digital Divide

The digital divide may be described as the difference between those having access to knowledge and those not having access to that same knowledge. This is due to a variety of issues, the main one being equitable access. Home computer ownership and multiple access points for Canadians are already well recognized by many jurisdictions as the main tools in combating the digital divide. However, even when information is accessible to everyone, the relative amount of knowledge gained between the haves and have-nots can widen. For instance, if the media covers topics of personal relevance to the "have-nots," then they are motivated to actively consume this information. In this instance, access narrows the knowledge gap. However, if the media covers topics that are remote to the have-nots," then they only passively consume the information and the gap widens. Early planners assumed that content would be king, and they were right but not in the way they visualized content at the time.

The Internet has provided a way for individuals and groups of people to let one another know about who they are and what they do. Consequently, the Internet has largely been organized around special interest groups and topics. Therefore, even if the Internet is accessible to all segments of society, the knowledge gap may continue to exist when dealing in specialized topic areas. It has been stated that Internet communities break down status, time and geographical barriers so that discussions of special interest topics are no longer limited to one's immediate geographic surroundings. But even so, if no one perceives a value in the knowledge presented or it is presented poorly, interest will not be present and visitors will not absorb the information.

Connectivity in Manitoba

Connectivity in Manitoba and the Role of Municipalities was first presented in the fall of 2001. It offered Manitobans an overview of a concept the authors then termed Municipal Fibre. Here is how the authors opened the discussion in 2001.

One of the more commonly accepted connectivity strategies is the establishment of a municipal-owned fibre optic network. There are many benefits to a community in ownership of a municipal fibre network. The two primary benefits can be summarized as being:

1. Additional Economic Growth Opportunities: Municipally owned fibre networks offer local businesses opportunities to participate in a wider area of commerce. Carriers and content providers are more apt to bring services to a community if they do not have to supply the infrastructure within that community.
    
2. Reduced Telecommunication Costs: A community can undertake to decrease its telecommunication costs by owning the local distribution infrastructure for telephone as well as data communications. With a municipal fibre network there can now be one point of connection to the service supplier instead of one for every resident, organization and business.

Many communities in Canada and the world have recognized the importance of establishing municipal networks as a way to increase operational efficiencies, regain control over their community’s future, encourage partnerships, develop new economic opportunities and retain their residents.

Although still an attractive truism the issues of municipal connectivity have, in some cases, changed dramatically in the past two years. Several communities did undertake to establish municipal networks and the lessons learned provide valuable information and insight to the causes, effects and costs of bringing telecommunications infrastructure to a community. Most notable is St. Pierre-Jolys located in Southeastern Manitoba. St. Pierre-Jolys is presented as the Model Community in this paper.

The Driving Forces

The main driving forces for those seeking improved telecommunications infrastructure have not changed to any great degree but we have added two new (points 5 and 6) forces that have emerged and are strong and enduring.

1. De-regulation is still an issue of concern and Canadians are about to embark on a new era as the CRTC announced that there is a definite need for a more competitive process in delivering telecommunications services and that deregulation will continue. So it is still imperative that municipalities, building owners and public officials have a telecommunications strategy that puts policies in place that clearly address the issues of rights of way and ownership that new, emerging and realigning carriers will test.
     The Province of Manitoba has wisely utilized their unique advantage, the ownership of the Manitoba Hydro electric utility. This compelling advantage makes the most of the ability of Manitoba Hydro to provide dark fibre as an extension of the services they already offer to the municipalities of the Province of Manitoba.
     Municipal authorities are being asked to respond to changing environments that will require them to decide on accepting or acquiring new technologies that will improve the core competencies of its administrators to achieve or maintain equitable civic operations. Additionally, municipal authorities are expected to encourage economic development within their own jurisdictions and communities.
    
2. In Manitoba the Provincial Government required an increased communications capacity. In 2001 they released an RFP for the continuance and upgrade of the Provincial Data Network (PDN). Three proposals were received including one from Manitoba Hydro. After nearly a year of deliberation the contract was awarded to Manitoba Telecom Services (MTS), the incumbent supplier of the service.

Some optimists believe that if there were enough municipally developed networks it would lead MTS to supply an improved infrastructure backbone; the link would be some form of participation in the upgrade process to the PDN to justify this.

The concept of a true province wide network is still under discussion but according to "insiders" the reality of the associated costs of the infrastructure upgrades, particularly if true broadband is a consideration, has kept the concept from proceeding far past the "talk" level.

5. A community’s self-willed and sincere desire to improve and be competitive in a more global setting. This also suggests that the inconsistency in the ability of Manitoba’s main telecommunications carrier MTS to provide equitable levels of service for all communities is perceived as a competitive advantage to those that have greater access capability. In short communities are taking matters (and their destiny) into their own hands.
    
6. The continued availability of Federal Government connectivity programs and the associated funding assistance. This has emerged as perhaps one of the most powerful forces in play. Community leaders and politicians are accustomed to and reactive to offers of Federal support, particularly in long-term infrastructure related projects. The requests for support from Industry Canada’s Broadband Rural And Northern Development (BRAND) program has been nothing short of amazing. More than 90 communities may receive financial assistance to plan their own broadband networks in cooperation or away from their local telecommunications carrier. This also demonstrates that there are still very many communities in Canada that are not served by high-speed services, not to mention true broadband.

The issue of understanding the difference between high-speed and broadband will be discussed at length in the contents of this paper but it must be stated here that there is still much confusion as to the accurate definition and assessment of broadband. The differences are worth noting because the limitations of a decreased capability may challenge the long-term goals a community may adopt.

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