The First Mile

Supported by the SSHRC-funded First Nations Innovation Project

The report, Putting the 'Last-Mile' First: Re-framing Broadband Development in First Nations and Inuit Communities, is now available on the project website:

http://www.sfu.ca/cprost/docs/Putting-the-Last-Mile-First-Dec-1-2010.pdf

This report highlights the leadership shown by First Nations and Inuit communities in the development of broadband infrastructure and use information and communication technologies. Project partners are Simon Fraser University, the University of New Brunswick, Keewaytinook Okimakanak, Atlantic Canada's First Nation Help Desk, the First Nations Education Council, and the First Nations Technology Council.

FYI ... The http://firstmile.ca URL is now working and is successfully pointing to this page. Please feel free to circulate this information to everyone and encourage everyone to ENROL at this site so everyone receives the news updates and begins to share their stories in the Sharing Centre.

Brian

Hi everyone,

A few updates on our First Mile report :

• The Centre for Global Communication Studies at the University of Pennsylvania recently featured the First Mile report on its website. CGCS "is a leader in international education and training in comparative media law and policy. It affords students, academics, lawyers, regulators, civil society representatives and others the opportunity to evaluate and discuss comparative, global and international communications issues".

• The University of Alberta Libraries has requested to add the First Mile report to its circulating collection in the Canadian Circumpolar Collection, which is a "world-class special collection for research on Northern Canada and an outstanding collection for circumpolar research".

Happy holidays!

-Rob

A link to our First Mile report was posted on the Canadian Rural Research Network (CRRN) which is a "a new means to support information sharing and networking among stakeholders with an interest in rural research".

For more information on CRRN, visit the following links:

• Blog
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• RSS
• RuralTube

Cheers,

Rob

Hi everyone,

Two brief updates on First Mile activities.

First, on February 23, I made a presentation on the ‘First Mile’ report to the Digital Māori Forum 2.0. I was joined by representatives from the Assembly of First Nations and First Nations Technology Council. The presentation was made possible through a videoconference bridge set up by K-Net.

Our presentation at the Digital Māori 2.0 was facilitated by Graeme Everton, an advocate for Māori participation in the ICT. The conference included representatives from Māori ICT organizations, the New Zealand government and telecommunications companies. At present, Māori are arguing for more involvement in New Zealand’s broadband policy development process, for example during the development of New Zealand's Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI). For more information, you can visit a website set up by Graeme Everton and members of the organization Broadband Advocates for Māori (BAM), Ipurangi Māori.

Graeme will be in Canada in March, and we are presently organizing a videoconference presentation about the Māori claim of spectrum as a treaty right. This will take place in late March. As well, Graeme noted that the New Zealand government will be funding a research project on community-based broadband development and use by Māori to help inform policy development.

If you are interested in joining us for Graeme’s presentation, please contact Rob at: rma29@sfu.ca for more information.

Second, Cal Kenny from K-Net has created an excellent video from the opening remarks for the launch of the "First Mile" report made by Chief Matthew Kakekaspan of Fort Severn First Nation. The remarks came during the launch of the draft report by videoconference on November 17, 2010. You can view the video here on the First Mile website.

Best,

Rob

I'm thrilled to announce our team has received a 12-month Public Outreach and Dissemination Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Dr. Richard Smith (Simon Fraser University) and Dr. Susan O'Donnell (University of New Brunswick) are co-investigators. The project research team includes a group of First Nations partner organizations, including Ontario’s Northern Chiefs Tribal Council (Keewaytinook Okimakanak, or KO), Atlantic Canada’s First Nation Help Desk, and First Nations Education Council (FNEC), based in Wendake, Quebec.

The project involves working with First Nations community-based video production teams. These teams will tell stories of local, "first mile" development practices through short (three minute) videos. We will also develop online resources for communities and policy makers. This includes national and regional online conferences to highlight stories and support dialogue about "first mile" development approaches, and an interactive website.

-Rob

On March 30, 2011, Graeme Overton gave a presentation on Māori claims for Spectrum as a Treaty Right. The presentation was well attended, and hosted by the First Nations Technology Council in B.C.

K-Net/KO in Ontario made possible the videoconferencing and webcast. Visit here for more information, including background material and a link to an archived webstream of the event.

A 'First Mile'-oriented research project is being planned in Aotearoa/New Zealand. For more information on this initiative as it develops, visit Ipurangi Māori.

- Rob

Thought this effort in Quebec might provide some opportunities for First Mile developments and opportunities ... Brian

Quebec announces $900m for provincial broadband initiative

Almost totally ignored in the English Canadian press was the recent announcement by the Quebec government to spend $900m to provide high speed next generation Internet to all of Quebec. Kudos to the Quebec government for understanding the importance of broadband to the Quebec economy and addressing head on the cable/telco duopoly. Like the UCAN initiative in the US this program will build upon the existing R&E infrastructure deployed by RISQ that connects most universities, schools, libraries in Quebec. This initiative also builds on Quebec˙s leadership in building Green IT economy announced in last years' budget.

http://www.budget.finances.gouv.qc.ca/Budget/2011-2012/fr/documents/PlanBudgetaire.pdf

Page 96

The implementation of a strategy for the digital economy

To address these important issues for economic development Quebec, the government intends to implement a strategy for the economy digital. The strategy's main objective is to increase the capacity of citizens, businesses and organizations to take full advantage of possibilities offered by digital technologies.

Quebec's strategy seeks primarily to provide Quebec with a network providing Internet service to high speed in all regions of Quebec by 2020.

For Quebec to take its place among the digital companies modern and prosperous investments totaling $ 900 million in infrastructure will be done by 2020. The funds will finance investment, particularly in the fiber optic detection equipment, the connectors networks and telecommunications infrastructure. It is expected that 20% of this sum will be invested in various suburban areas Quebec, while the remaining amount will be spent in the more remote areas.

The success of this strategy involves the development and enhancement of capacity of existing infrastructure, both public and private. It is expected that these strategic investments will be made largely on networks currently in place. The deployment strategy will therefore pressing the assets installed in the territory of Quebec, which includes:

¯ Network integrated multimedia telecommunications, offering a service data transmission networks for health departments and other public bodies;
¯ Information Network Research Quebec-based mainly universities and colleges;
¯ school buildings, municipal buildings, public libraries, and hospitals and research centers;
¯ other public transport networks.

To this end, additional funding of $ 1.1 million in 2011-2012, of $ 4.5 million in 2012-2013 and $ 9.0 million in 2013-2014 will be awarded by Treasury Board Secretariat. Credits required for 2011-2012 will be filled at the same Fund.

Chair of Treasury Board will further clarify the details of the strategy for the digital economy.

Fort Severn First Nation invites you to celebrate 20 years of First Mile work developing ICT infrastructure and capacity in our community!

Building Digital Bridges on the Shore of Hudson Bay: Information and Communication Technologies in Fort Severn First Nation

Fort Severn leaders, community members, and staff from Keewaytinook Okimakanak Tribal Council (Northern Chiefs) will share their stories!

Host: Chief Matthew Kakekaspan, Washaho Cree Nation at Fort Severn

Time: Noon-2:30pm Eastern

Participate via: videoconference, web stream, or in-person (National Research Council, 46 Dineen Drive, Fredericton, UNB campus)

Contact: Kerri Gibson (kerri.gibson@nrc.ca, 506-444-0526)

Details on the event

Information on the Fort Severn Technology Showcase

Greetings! Some brief updates on recent First Mile activities.

1) The Fort Severn Technology Showcase website is now available. The website traces the history of how Fort Severn community members, who live in northern Ontario, have been communicating and sharing information, starting with the time before digital technology existed in the community. When information and communication technologies (ICT) were introduced to Fort Severn, the community shaped them to meet their needs. Since those early days, Fort Severn community members have developed their own content, programs and services. Visit their website to learn more.

2) On June 1, 2011, researchers from the University of New Brunswick, Simon Fraser University and the National Research Council presented a series of papers on First Mile-oriented ICT development in First Nations communities. The presentation was made at the annual conference of the Canadian Communications Association in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Brian Walmark from the Keewaytinook Okimakanak Research Institute also participated in the discussions. More information about the panel, including links to the presentations, is available here.

3) On June 7, 2011, Rob McMahon from the First Mile project gave a presentation at the Telecom 2011 conference celebrating the launch of the Eeyou Communications Network in Rouyn-Noranda, QC. The conference was organized by the Secretariat to the Cree Nation – Abitibi-Temiscamingue Economic Alliance, an organization bringing together all Northern Quebec Cree communities and the municipalities of the Abitibi-Temiscamingue. The first five hours of the conference are available for viewing here.

On December 7, 2011, the Chiefs in Assembly of the Assembly of First Nations passed a resolution (2011-09) supporting the AFN's First Nations e-Community Strategy.

This resolution directly references the First Mile work and 2010 report, 'Putting the last-mile first'. The resolution notes that the First Mile work is complementary and supportive of the AFN ICT work.

The resolution, passed at the 2011 Special Chiefs Assembly, states:

First Mile Connectivity Consortium work celebrates Inuit and First Nation successes in building, owning, controlling and accessing community and regional IT networks and applications. The report “Putting the last-mile first: Re-framing Broadband Development in First Nations and Inuit Communities” has been produced by the First Mile research project and is complementary and supportive of the AFN ICT work.

Read the full resolution here (the e-Community Strategy resolution is on pp.21-2).

On March 4 and 7, 2012, CBC aired a special edition of its technology program Spark on "Aboriginal Futures".

The program featured First Mile partner Dr. Susan O'Donnell, and the webpage features a link to the First Mile.

Listen to a webcast here: http://www.cbc.ca/spark/2012/03/spark-174-march-4-7-2012/

Nora Young and National News Reporter Duncan McCue co-host a special edition of Spark to explore how Aboriginal communities are finding digital solutions to long-standing problems. In Squamish Territory, podcasts revitalize a nearly-extinct language. In Kahnawake, Mohawk youth dream about their place in the future as they time travel through video games. In Ottawa nightclubs, powwow music meets electronic beats. And across Canada, First Nations people are using social media to govern their territories and carve out their place in the open territory of cyberspace.

In July, one of the First Mile researchers, Rob McMahon, was awarded the CanWest Global Graduate Fellowship. This annual scholarship provides financial support for graduate students at Simon Fraser University who are pursuing, or intend to pursue, a graduate degree in School of Communication with interest in issues related to media broadcasting policy and practice.

Rob thanks the First Mile team for their past and ongoing support. He also thanks the donors for their generosity.

This award will help Rob in the final semesters of his PhD program. He is writing a dissertation on the Northern Indigenous Community Satellite Network.

On June 19 and 20, 2013 the First Mile connectivity consortium, K'atl'odeeche First Nation and the Eeyou Communications Network presented to the CRTC regarding several aspects of Northwestel's proposed Modernization Plan. Generally, the three parties focused on issues of access, affordability, and the potential for infrastructure development in the North to support economic and community development. They argued that northern residents should be offered opportunities to participate in these developments as producers as well as consumers of telecommunications services.

• Click here to learn more...