This talk will introduce the group to an important communications asset we citizens own right here in the Valley, i.e. our community fiber optic network. Who uses it? Where is it? The key question, however, which we'll put to our attendees, is, "How might we truly put community squarely into the heart of the Valley Community Fiber Network?" What will it take? What tools are we missing? What's the potential? Who is interested? What are the roadblocks? How can we innovate?

1. Valley Community
Fiber Network

2. Valley Community Fiber Network

3. What is it?
• Completed in 2008, the Valley Community Fibre
Network is a community fibre-optic network
running 175 Kms between Halifax and the Valley.
• Owned by 6 municipalities (Berwick, Hantsport,
Kings, Wolfville, West Hants and Windsor), Acadia
University, and the NSCC.
• Operated and managed by IAI under the direction
of the VCFN Board of Directors.

5. Who uses the VCFN?
• Acadia University - for access to research networks
via Dalhousie in Halifax.
• NSCC - to link Kingstec, and the Annapolis Campus
to NSCC core services in Halifax.
• The Six Municipal Partners - use the VCFN for data
communications and Internet access.
• Agriculture and Agrifood Canada – to reach
research networks in Halifax.

6. Who uses the VCFN - Continued
• The Health Sector – to reach theValley Regional
Hospital and the Hants County Hospital in Windsor.
• Three Commercial Users –to provide backbone data
communications to their customers:
• IAI
• Mainland Tel
•…
• MSVU - for access to Internet and research
networks via Dalhousie.

7. Who uses the VCFN – Continued (2)
• Rogers Communications – Rogers acquired a 20
year “Indefeasible Right to Use” six strands (of
72) in the VCFN in 2012.
• Rogers paid $1.2 Million to the VCFN for this
IRU.
• VCFN extended laterals to several sites as part
of this arrangement.

8. What is the VCFN Mandate?
• To provide high-speed fibre-optic backbone
services to the eight partner organizations.
• To act as a tool of economic development by
providing “metro area equivalence” for commercial
and institutional customers in the Valley area.
• To provide an independent high-speed backbone
service encouraging development of the digital
economy in the Valley.

9. IAI Role
• Operations of VCFN Network
• Includes maintenance, emergency restoral, operational
monitoring, design and development assistance to users,
operational liaison with users, operational liaison with utilities
and right of way authorities
• Sales and Business Development
• Includes price models, business development activities, sales
calls, liaison with government agencies, liaison with customers
• Accounting and Customer Service Management
• IAI keeps the VCFN books, issues invoices and receives payments,
schedules and records Board meetings.

10. Municipal Users
• Six Municipalities (Berwick, Hantsport, Kings, West Hants,
Windsor, Wolfville) are linked together on a Common Data
Infrastructure built on the VCFN backbone by IAI.
• Inter-municipal IT Team (IMITT) explores and coordinates
shared projects on VCFN Common Infrastructure.
• Shared services are now available (Internet, inter-municipal
network connections, several pilot projects)
• Through IMITT, new service enhancements and cost savings
are emerging.

11. Commercial Users
• Mainland Tel is a Valley based commercial customer of the
VCFN network and has begun offering telephone services to
customers in the VCFN area.
• Mount Saint Vincent University uses the VCFN for all their
data-communications requirements.
• IAI uses the VCFN to reach a major customer in Bedford.
• HITS-NS (Health Information Technology Services Nova Scotia)
uses the VCFN to transport data to the VRH and HCH sites.

12. How do we get more of this
Valley Community
Fiber Network

16. i-Canada pushing ultra-broadband plan
By: Howard Solomon On: 22 Jan 2013 For: ComputerWorld Canada
Group wants a broad coalition from the public and private sector to come up with a plan
so every Canadian home gets 1 Gbps Internet access by 2020
With the long promised federal digital economy strategy nowhere in sight, a group of
Canadian political, business and private sector leaders continues to push for an independent
coalition to create the framework to build an ultra-broadband network.
The iCanada Alliance believes the country needs to offer the majority of residents Internet
access with download speeds of at least 1 gigabits per second (Gbps) by 2020 – about 10
times faster than many Canadians can get now.

17. "The thought behind the 'GeekMove' is -- we have this gig fiber here – why wouldn't
people who need that gig fiber want to come take advantage of it every day," Garrison
said. "[It's] so rewarding when we do get those folks who are on board with us -- they
want to be here in Chattanooga, and they want to come be a part of what's going on
here."

19. Business leaders also hold summer-long competitions every
year called the GigTank. Teams, made up of recent college grads
and established entrepreneurs, receive $15,000 to participate in
a 100-day program to develop new computer applications and
improve business plans for existing companies. Past
"GigTankers" created data sharing websites for scientists and
language translating applications that could be used by
businesses.

20. http://www.homesforhackers.com/

25. Stephen Wilsack, president of Innovative Systems of New Minas,
NS, is an enthusiastic user of the DAIR Program. “We’ve been able
to test and validate our product, a private broadcast/multimedia
platform and social media system for the education and non-profit
sector, on DAIR,” says Stephen. “It has accelerated our product
development timeline and definitely saved us money.”

26. matt
povah
,
town of
hantsport
& Mr.
Fiber
town of

27. chris
norman
,
mainland
telecom

28. bruce
macdou
gall,
I.A.I.

29. They are offering Internet television or IPTV and VDSL internet service over
the same copper wires that they’ve been using to deliver DSL internet service
for the last ten or fifteen years.
The only difference is the within the Bell network they have increased the use
of Fibre optics to enhance their infrastructure. This is a leap forward but, as a
homeowner, you will never receive the true benefits of a fibre optic network
until you have a fibre optic cable inside your home.