department of innovation, trade and rural development briefing to labrador conference...

Department of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development

www.gov.nl.ca/intrd

Briefing to Labrador conference

Government’s Broadband Initiative (GBI)

October 27, 2009

Briefing Topics• Innovation

• What is GBI

• Service Management Centre (SMC)

• Why we need GBI

• Your Role

• Discussion

What Drives Innovation?

Microeconomic Environment:

Pressure to compete in an intense business environment

Strategy chosen to compete (new products, new ways, new approaches)

Support/Resources:

High Quality Personnel

World-class Scientific and Technological Infrastructure

Information Infrastructure

Physical Infrastructure

Source: Memorial University

Think about this…

Third generation fibre optics have now been tested by Alcatel and NEC that enable 10 trillion bits per second of information to be “pushed” down a single fibre strand;– equals 1,900 CDs or 150 million telephone calls every second

– Tripling every 6 months and will continue to do so for at least 20 years

– To achieve this, only equipment is changed, the actual fibre is not.

NL Communications Gaps and Anomalies

• Hundreds of communities still not connected with a population of approx. 35,000 people

• A considerable number of communities that are listed as being covered, have significant gaps (i.e. DSL limitations in towns that are geographically spread out)

• Business cannot avail of the digital economy because their ISP is either unable to obtain sufficient access, or the cost of such access makes it unaffordable (e.g. Plum Point region of Northern Peninsula)

• Business and other organizations do not have access to secure networks (many systems still very basic or even dial up)

• Our research and knowledge based institutions still have limited access to research networks. (e.g. the marine research station in Gros Morne National Park has only slightly better than dial up speeds)

• Some areas have limited Internet coverage because the ‘pipe’ to the area is congested (Labrador, south coast)

• Some regions face very high costs of landing a cable and are limited to low capacity DSL or wireless (e.g. Labrador generally, and northern towns in particular, Fogo Island, south coast, towns within National Park)

• Many areas are “stubs” which means one line cut downs service completely making the system very unreliable for businesses and governments (e.g. Last week’s service outage in Labrador West)


www.gov.nl.ca/intrd

What is GBI?

GBI is an approach to deliver a new communications network for government and its agencies that will meet 21st century infrastructure needs. It will accomplish this by:– Aggregating data/telecommunication services for all Provincial

Government legislated agencies (GLAs).– Creating a new GLA to manage all data/telecommunications

services.– Enabling innovation through collaboration amongst the GLAs.– Working with each GLA to demonstrate how new technology

can assist in meeting their mandates.


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Key DriversSocial and Economic Policy

– Brings an advanced communications network to each community with a government presence.

Coverage to 93% of population when this phase implemented. Longer term ability to reach an additional 5% through non-fibre

technologies

– Fosters a competitive telecommunications environment for all regions of the province, not just in urban centres.

– Establishes a backbone that provides access for ISPs (local or national) where there is no current business case for private investment.

– Helps resolve a looming infrastructure problem in Labrador and brings necessary infrastructure to Labrador to facilitate new initiatives


www.gov.nl.ca/intrd

Key DriversInternal Operations

– Connect all departments and agencies to a next generation network that we collectively control.

– Enable departments and agencies to utilize computers and communications technologies without being limited by tariffs or regulatory constraints.

– For the first time, departments and agencies will have at their disposal internal communications experts to work with them to plan and deploy innovative technologies.

– For the first time, will give all departments and agencies internal access to a province wide research network and our R&D agencies.

Positive Financial Impact over 15 years– Employment estimated at 3,469 person years– Labour net income estimated at $137.95 million– Total net benefits to NL Economy estimated to be $166.16

million


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RFP Results• EastLink Communications has the best network design at a lowest

cost; much easier integration with the existing fibres.

• Axia Netmedia Corporation has the best experience at running the type of network that we are recommending and offers potential of revenue sharing.

• A hybrid approach using these two firms provides for the best combination of competitiveness and network access at the best price.

• Both proponents enable a broader approach to economic development offsets.


www.gov.nl.ca/intrd

What’s Been Done So Far• Trans Gulf Project: Province

invested $15 million in a $52 million connection that has enabled four carriers, for the first time, to establish their own facilities and thereby offer new services:

– Rogers;– EastLink;– MTS-Allstream;– Tele-Greenland.

• Completed study on Trans-Labrador network:

– Completed preliminary engineering work on Strait of Belle Isle crossing.

• Negotiations will soon commence to complete the build of a province-wide fibre network:

– Axia Net Media to operate network from a new operations facility;

– EastLink to build.


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Backbone

Distribution

Access

GBI Nodes

Current Phase

GBI 2017


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GBI 2017

GBI 2017


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Let’s look at… HEALTH

Time Required to download a 144 MB image file

56 kbps (dial-up modem) 348 minutes (5.8 hrs)

128 kbps (ISDN) 144 minutes (2.4 hrs)

1.54 mbps (Aliant DSL) 18 minutes

10 Mbps (Internal Government Network) < 3 minutes

1 Gbps (R&D net MUN-partial fibre) < 2 seconds

10 Gbps (full fibre optic network) < 1/5 second


www.gov.nl.ca/intrd

Have you heard about the CISCO Health Have you heard about the CISCO Health Presence?Presence?

Cisco Health Presence combines state-of-the-art video, audio and call-centre technology with medical information over a highly secure network

– Creates a virtual face-to-face experience for patients and caregivers who may be miles apart.


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Let’s look at … EducationImagine that EVERY student had a portable computer on their desk with virtually unlimited Bandwidth.

– An electronic curriculum could be tailored not only to the subject, but also to the student.

– Special needs students, either above or below average, could have access to specialized teaching methods.

– Teachers could have continuous monitoring of effort, performance, problem areas, etc.

– Students and Teachers would be able to have real time exchanges with other jurisdictions – worldwide!

– Local e-learning specialists would have access to every school in the province.

Let’s look at… EMO

The new Service Management Centre will house a state of the art communications facility with an EMO Situation room.

– Online monitoring of significant incidents with immediate secure access to local officials– Immediate video communications across the province, nation, world– Direct linkage to Senior Officials and Cabinet when needed– Access to all government resources including GIS databases– Direct links to communications officials/channels– Direct connections to federal agencies such as Public Safety Canada– Access to cross-training, testing and simulation exercises


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So what will we be able to do?

• Establish a common connection point for all organizational mandates that does not exist today.

• Enable a comprehensive approach to connecting data sets with much higher levels of system security and availability.

• Provide considerable support on matters related to economic development, research & development and where directed, social policy initiatives.

• Enable more innovation, research and knowledge transfer between urban and rural areas.

• Enhance EMO capabilities province-wide with a coordinated approach to emergency communications and cyber protection amongst agencies.


www.gov.nl.ca/intrd

RFP Results• EastLink Communications has the best network design at a

lowest cost; much easier integration with the existing fibres.

• Axia Netmedia Corporation has the best experience at running the type of network that we are recommending and offers potential of revenue sharing.

• A hybrid approach using these two firms provides for the best combination of competitiveness and network access at the best price.

• Both proponents enable a broader approach to economic development offsets.


www.gov.nl.ca/intrd

Service Management Centre (SMC)Conceptual Framework

• Provide oversight for the build, management and

operation of network.

• Multi-year Service Level Agreements will be negotiated with each public agency

• Contain a Critical Information Protection Centre.

• Economic development advisory capacity with research, development and demonstration mandate.

• EMO/Public Safety Canada communications function.


www.gov.nl.ca/intrd

Labrador Considerations• To deliver the types of new government services that are

envisioned, our operations in Labrador must be on a fibre optic network

• Existing capacity in Labrador cannot presently meet needs. It is highly unlikely that any private carrier would be able to absorb such a deployment from its own resources.

• Provides capability for private carriers to bring new retail services that are not presently available, and would not be possible without such a network.

• The social and economic development potential of Labrador will be enhanced if it has access to an advanced communications network.


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What happens next…• Negotiate a contract with the RFP winners – underway & to

be completed by Christmas

• Engage federal agencies – underway

• Second staff – underway

• Define building/facility planning – underway

• Begin the departmental and agency reviews – early November

• Establish the SMC governance structure - November

• Light up existing fibres and move priority traffic to new network – begins summer 2010!

Your important role in GBI…

• You need to start thinking differently about economic development:– Remember all aspects of the economy require shared knowledge;– All aspects of the economy require innovation to compete in today’s

world;– Businesses need to understand that keeping competitive has a cost;

• You need to begin planning now to take advantage of this advanced network.– The Provincial Government is now in budget prep;– The federal government has outlined it’s programs;

• You need to work together to develop demonstration projects that can be applied elsewhere.

• You need to understand that INTRD and Axia can help, but we can’t do it for you.


www.gov.nl.ca/intrd

What we need you to do…

• Advise your colleagues and staff about the GBI project;

• Get your organization thinking about what it will do with the bandwidth that will be available in your community;

• Start thinking about how INTRD through the SMC and Axia can assist you in meeting your objectives.


www.gov.nl.ca/intrd


www.gov.nl.ca/intrd

Where we want to take our Network

Greenland and on to Europe

Iqaluit

North Coast Labrador

Trans Labrador Highway

St. Pierre

N.E. United States

Toronto

Montreal

North Shore PQ

GBI Plus


www.gov.nl.ca/intrd

Thank you

department of innovation, trade and rural development briefing to labrador conference...

Documents

department of innovation

network access

new communications network

rural development

agencies internal access

labrador west slide

limited access

drives innovation