Iqaluit (Oct 11/04) - Nunavummiut may have access to broadband Internet service by Christmas, or even sooner in some larger communities, about four months ahead of schedule.

The new technology will support everything from desktop video conferencing to on-the-job training.

Lorraine Thomas, secretary-treasurer of the Nunavut Broadband Development Corporation, says the system could be up and running by Christmas, four months prior to the originally scheduled date of April 2005. - Brent Reaney/NNSL photo

But everything hinges on successful installation, the delivery of training to community service provider and the final paperwork on a federal subsidy, which is expected to help pay for the approximately $1 million yearly cost for bandwidth, said Lorraine Thomas of the Nunavut Broadband Development Corp. (NBDC).

NBDC is a non-profit corporation that owns the network and acts as a watchdog.

"While we're making sure it gets built, we don't actually run it," Thomas said.

That job belongs to SSI Micro, a Yellowknife-based company that won the service contract last year through a competitive bid.

"I don't think anyone really recognizes how fundamentally different this is going to make things in Nunavut," said Jeff Phillips, president and chief executive officer of SSI Micro.

As soon as the system is running, subscribers will be able to connect with their wireless modem anywhere in Nunavut, and soon within the NWT as well, Phillips said.

Small businesses, known as community service providers, have also been set up in each community to help people get connected.

These individuals will receive a small commission as well as a week of technical training, which is expected to be completed territory-wide by mid-November.

The equipment arrived in all communities on the last sealift and SSI Micro has begun installing it.

Under an agreement between SSI Micro and NBDC, the system is leased to SSI Micro.

A portion of the system revenue will be used to pay down almost $4 million in debt and equity financing, as well as a portion to the community service providers, with the rest going to pay for bandwidth and operations costs, Thomas said.

The projected break-even on the project is five years, after which time it is expected to be self-sustaining. As of Oct. 7, the satellite and antennas in six communities were ready to go. Currently, some smaller communities throughout the territory access the Internet using long distance dial-up access.

Some users in Grise Fiord had said they were spending upwards of $60 a month using the pre-paid system, prior to the introduction of local dial-up service.

"I'm thinking about setting up my own Web site to sell photos once broadband gets going," said community economic development officer Jimmie Qaapik.

Each subscriber will be provided with a broadband wireless access modem, for which a refundable $150 deposit will be paid.

Customers will need an ethernet card, or a network interface card, in order to connect to the system.

A pentium processor and Windows 95 operating system are listed as minimum system requirements, but more recent operating systems and faster processors will provide better service, Thomas said.