Is there more to life than this?

Kamloops Computer and Internet

November 19, 2004

KAMLOOPS COMMUNITY FIBRE NETWORK CONNECTS 37 BUILDINGS OF PUBLIC SECTOR ORGANIZATIONS

Kamloops—Construction has begun and fibre is being laid to connect five public sector organizations to Kamloops’ own high-speed, low-cost telecommunications system. By spring of 2005, the City of Kamloops, School District 73, Province of British Columbia, University College of the Cariboo/Thompson Rivers University and the Thompson-Nicola Regional District will be connected to the Kamloops Community Network, resulting in cost-savings to the agencies and taxpayers.

The agencies have signed a 20-year, $900,000 agreement, giving them unrestricted access to hair- thin strands of glass that interconnect their locations at the speed of light. “After three years of planning, approval from the Canadian Radio Telecommunications Commission, and agreement from Telus to access their support structures, we are, at last, putting fibre in the ground as we speak,” said Kamloops mayor, Mel Rothenburger.

“With a vision of improving economic development opportunities in our community, City Council approved the business plan for KCN in October 2001. By the spring, we will be running the service at affordable prices—the City of Kamloops is building the path to partners’ doorways and the partners are saving on connection costs,” said Rothenburger.

“This is the beginning of a three-phase project designed to make Kamloops’ telecommunications infrastructure one of the best in the world,” said Frank Mayhood, project leader and IT manager for the City of Kamloops. “42 km of fibre optic cable is being laid in the ground for phase one and at least 650 km is projected by the time we reach phase three.”

Phase one will supply telephone and Internet connections to all City buildings; the school district can centralize its servers at the administration office rather than in several high schools, and the high schools will have reduced costs for virtual education and connection to the Provincial Learning Network. Provincial government offices at 235-1st Avenue, 1255 Dalhousie, 444 St. Paul Street, and 1165 Battle Street will be connected, as will UCC/TRU, and TNRD on Victoria Street. A total of 37 buildings.

“This technology has not been used as comprehensively anywhere else in British Columbia, said Kamloops MLA Claude Richmond “Kamloops has again shown itself to be a leader.”

“The Kamloops Community Network will eventually bring fast, affordable Internet to the entire city, opening doors and creating opportunities for the people of Kamloops,” said Kamloops- North Thompson MLA Kevin Krueger.

Phase two of KCN is subject to Council’s budgetary approval, followed by staff implementing a marketing program to promote the service to the business sector. Businesses in close proximity to the core network of phase one will realize the best cost-savings. The network will accommodate competition, in that telecommunication companies would apply to use KCN to carry service to businesses. Businesses would then be able to select from a menu of service carriers for their Internet, telephone and data communications.

When phase two is operational, the business plan calls for phase three to provide fibre to homes. Residents will have high-speed services delivered to their doors, with the potential for more convenient lifestyle choices, such as home-offices, remote heart monitoring or virtual doctors' visits.

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