Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (May 26/04) - The final piece of the financial puzzle has been put in place for high speed broadband Internet service to be delivered to all 25 Nunavut communities.

The financial backing needed to launch the project was secured by the Nunavut Broadband Development Corp. (NBDC) earlier this month.

Funding for the $9 million wireless broadband distribution network will be provided by Atuqtuarvik Corp. ($3 million debt and equity financing), Industry Canada ($3.89 million in contribution financing), SSI Micro (in-kind contributions to support role as network provider) and Kakivak Association ($220,000 loan guarantee for working capital until the fall of 2004).

NBDC board chairperson Patrick Tagoona said the actual delivery of broadband Internet service across the territory is just one of the company's goals.

He said a request will soon be going out for expressions of interests for those interested in becoming community service providers.

"Our goal is to have a local person involved with the operation in every Nunavut community," said Tagoona.

"We hope to play a large role in the development and expansion of technology-based businesses in the territory."

Training to be offered

Installation will begin in the bigger communities during the next two months.

For smaller hamlets with no infrastructure in place, the necessary equipment will come in on the sealift.

The NBDC expects service to be operational in every community by March 2005.

Tagoona said much of the needed technical support can be provided remotely by SSI Micro.

"But, as part of our rollout plan, we're going to provide training to local people running the system in the communities.

"They can decide to become more of a local Internet service provider, or remain as a community agent to collect payments and distribute the necessary equipment to subscribers."

Tagoona said the NBDC will develop a strategy later this year outlining the types of training to be delivered to the communities.

"First we need to complete accessing funds to develop the plan itself, and then we'll secure funding to actually provide training.

"We're hoping to start training people in 2005.

"We'd like to help develop a local technology company in each of the communities that is able to provide Internet service, repair computers and get involved with projects such Web design."