icts at work in remote and rural communities brian beaton, k-net services coordinator...
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ICTs at Work in Remote and Rural Communities
Brian Beaton, K-Net Services Coordinator
Connect NWT SymposiumFebruary 6, 2006 - Yellowknife, NWT
Building Sustainable Broadband Community Networks in Remote and Rural First Nations
http://knet.ca
The Importance of the Digital Economy in Remote and Rural
Communities
Brian Beaton, K-Net Services Coordinator
Ontario Digital Economy ConferenceOctober 2, 2008 – Huntsville, Ontario
THE PEOPLE and THE COMMUNITIEShttp://photos.knet.cahttp://streaming.knet.ca/RMO_trailer_high.wmv
http://knet.ca/NW-report.htm“From Potential to Practice: Telecommunications & Development in the Nishnawbe-Aski Nation”
K-Net e-Mail Account Penetration
Local Area and Municipal Area Networking
Capacity Building
Community Access to the Internet
Website Utilization
Helpdesk Services
Network Design and Strategy Development
Affordable Network Access
Growth in Digital Service in First Nations
Key Challenges and Issues ...
Historical Highlights …
Wawatay Native Communications Society – establishing the environment for effective IT use – http://www.wawatay.on.ca
Industry Canada’s MSAT / DirecPC Pilot Projects (1998) – First Nations SchoolNet, Community Access Program and FedNor – http://streaming.knet.ca/ConnectingFirstNations.wmv
Industry Canada’s Smart Communities Demonstration project (1999) –http://smart.knet.ca
Industry Canada’s National Broadband Task Force (2001) – http://broadband.gc.ca
Building the network …
1998 - 2000 http://knet.ca/keewaywintelecomm
20047.4 meter earth
station install
http://tech.knet.ca/photos/fortsevernvsat
1994 - 1999 http://knet.ca/nslstory/story1.html
2002Sioux Lookout Fiber
2001Cable Plant Installshttp://tech.knet.ca/photos
http://streaming.knet.ca/satellite_large.wmv http://tech.knet.ca/photos/satellite
2000 – Community Satellite installs
• Planning for ICTs in remote communities through effective community consultation - http://smart.knet.ca/archive/fsworkshop
• Accessing sufficient bandwidth required to support two way symmetrical video conferencing
• Partnering with the telecommunication providers, other communities and organizations to invest in adequate infrastructure
• Fundraising efforts with different levels of government as well with the various departments and agencies
• Expanding the network and services within a manageable and cooperative environment
ESTABLISHING MINIMUM LEVEL OF SERVICE …
ESTABLISHING CREDIBILITY WITH INDUSTRY and GOVERNMENT …• Working with strong leadership who understand the need for
these tools in their communities
• Improvising using available tools - eg MSAT / DirecPC / HSI networks before infrastructure was in place
• Making mistakes (good ones) and learning from them• Getting lots of “no’s” but willing to work with partners to learn
with us • Transferring and sharing what is learned to other First Nations
and organizations• Focusing on building human networks to support technological
ones
Building Sustainability and Interoperability …• Planning networks in isolation from community networks
results in many “thin” pipes serving communities• Sharing existing resources and services required in small
communities
• Having a local champion who knows the community and who is trusted and respected to share information and developments
• Learning about the various options concerning infrastructure and application providers (there are lots of choices out there)
• Deciding what applications are needed & why, requires lots of planning providing opportunities for community engagement
• Finding the right partners, especially the local and regional organizations and groups who share similar goals and needs
• Taking the first steps, for example, setting up a public access site so the community can learn about on-line services & applications
• Searching for similar models and communities who are willing to share their stories and experiences
• Being willing to take risks knowing that mistakes might be made but that corrective actions can be taken along the way
• Working together to aggregate the local demand saves dollars, sustains the community network, and contributes to a strong, healthy and prosperous rural sector for all
Challenges and Issues Summary …
Challenges•Staffing•Training•Partnerships•Traditional health care practices
Online Resources• http://telehealth.knet.ca and http://telehealth.knet.ca/report/ • Turning the Corner with First Nations Telehealth position paper
http://knet.ca/documents/KOTelehealth-Position-Paper-May2005.pdf • http://streaming.knet.ca/fednor/health_300k.wmv (3:29 min)• Case Study on Health - http://smart.knet.ca/flash/eng/pdf/health.pdf • http://streaming.knet.ca/telehealth/consult_part3_300k.wmv • Teleradiology - http://streaming.knet.ca/teleradiology_300k.wmv • Telehealth information videos
http://telehealth.knet.ca/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=507
Community Applications - TELEHEALTH …
Community Application – E-LEARNING …Challenges
•Traditional institutional attitudes•Legacy of Residential Schools•Local support systems and programs for youth•Equivalent resources (funding, counseling, etc)
Online Resources• http://kihs.knet.ca and http://g8.firstnationschools.ca • Open Source e-learning platform development – http://moodlefn.firstnationschools.ca• KIHS information video - http://streaming.knet.ca/KiHS/KiHS_300k.wmv • Case Study on Education - http://smart.knet.ca/flash/eng/pdf/education.pdf • Youth Employment Training - http://streaming.knet.ca/schoolnet/youth_training_300k.wmv• Residential School Gatherings video material - http://piiwaseya.knet.ca, http://streaming.knet.ca/pelican_falls_300k.wmv • Sharing our ICT stories – http://streaming.knet.ca/schoolnet_300k.wmv • Poplar Hill Grade 8 video - http://streaming.knet.ca/international/poplar_hill_300k.wmv
Other Applications – RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENTChallenges
•True partnerships with institutions•Establishing credibility•Defining clear goals and services•Fundraising with competitive and well-funded institutions
Online Resources• http://research.knet.ca, http://cracin.ca and http://ricta.ca • “Turning the Corner – Using Broadband Effectively in Canada’s North” (May
2005) - http://streaming.knet.ca/turning_the_corner_high.wmv • Keewaytinook Okimakanak C-Band Satellite Public Benefit Report (March 2005) -
http://research.knet.ca/images/upload/05-03-29-Summative-Overview-C-Band-Public-Benefit-KNet1[1].pdf
• "The K-Net Story - Weaving the Networked Economy in Kuhkenah First Nation Communities" (Dec 2004) - http://smart.knet.ca/fednor_video_list.html
• Smart Communities project evaluation – http://smart.knet.ca/evaluation• The K-Net Development Process: A Model for First Nations Broadband
Community Network (2005) – •http://research.knet.ca/images/upload/K-NetTPRC05[1].pdf
Building LOCAL Relationships …• Creating a culture of change that supports open, transparent and innovative
social and economic opportunities and ways of doing business as well as delivering services to others
• Investing in local businesses, people and infrastructure instead of spending scarce resources outside the community results in construction, maintenance and sustainable local networks
• Developing long term strategies and solutions that support local employment, new businesses, services and partnerships
• Listening carefully to our children and youth for directions that provide them with the choices to stay or return home
• Finding government champions, policies, programs and agents that respect and understands the unique needs of small communities
• Avoiding corporate and institutional sustainability strategies that require dependencies and consumptive behaviours from their clients resulting in all the resources leaving the community
• Changing traditional business, sales and management strategies to support local and distributed online practices
AN OPEN INVITATION TO ONE and ALL TO VISIT US IN SIOUX LOOKOUT…