K'atl'odeeche First Nation's Community Fibre Network
Community networking projects like Bamaji Telephone Service also rely on partnerships, typically between local communities, network operators, and funders from government, private sector, or civil society organizations. For Indigenous groups located in expensive or challenging to service regions, these partnerships are necessary to provide services in regions that otherwise lack a business case. Put differently, Indigenous networking initiatives often emerge in areas of market failure. In such cases, it is local champions who step forward to address the digital divides their communities face.
One example of such a partnership is the community networking project undertaken by K'atl'odeeche First Nation (KFN) in the Northwest Territories. In the video below, Henry Tambour gives us a tour of the planned network and talks about the project.
The KFN community networking project, which began in 2011, has faced a number of challenges. Today the community can access a local fibre optic network that interconnects community services that replaced aging infrastructure and generated savings for the Band Council through more efficient communications links. However, a bottleneck at the interconnection point between the community network and the rest of the world means that once data traffic leaves KFN, it slows down. The construction project to connect the local network to that interconnection point has faced several barriers to its completion.
Lyle Fabian, the IT Manager in charge of this project, produced the two videos below. They use photos and text to tell the story of KFN’s Community Network.
On October 11, 2012, Lyle gave a presentation at the Pathways to Prosperity Conference in Yellowknife. The conference focused on issues of northern governance and economic development in the Northwest Territories. In the video below, Lyle discusses some of the benefits of the community network -- once the construction work has been completed.
Community networking projects like Bamaji Telephone Service also rely on partnerships, typically between local communities, network operators, and funders from government, private sector, or civil society organizations. For Indigenous groups located in expensive or challenging to service regions, these partnerships are necessary to provide services in regions that otherwise lack a business case. Put differently, Indigenous networking initiatives often emerge in areas of market failure. In such cases, it is local champions who step forward to address the digital divides their communities face.
One example of such a partnership is the community networking project undertaken by K'atl'odeeche First Nation (KFN) in the Northwest Territories. In the video below, Henry Tambour gives us a tour of the planned network and talks about the project.
First Mile Community Stories: Tour K'atlodeeche First Nation's Community Network
(uploaded May 23, 2012)
(uploaded May 23, 2012)
The KFN community networking project, which began in 2011, has faced a number of challenges. Today the community can access a local fibre optic network that interconnects community services that replaced aging infrastructure and generated savings for the Band Council through more efficient communications links. However, a bottleneck at the interconnection point between the community network and the rest of the world means that once data traffic leaves KFN, it slows down. The construction project to connect the local network to that interconnection point has faced several barriers to its completion.
Lyle Fabian, the IT Manager in charge of this project, produced the two videos below. They use photos and text to tell the story of KFN’s Community Network.
K'atl'odeeche First Nation Fibre Optic Construction - Part 1
(uploaded Nov. 8, 2013)
(uploaded Nov. 8, 2013)
K'atl'odeeche First Nation Fibre Optic Construction - Part 2
(uploaded Nov. 5, 2013)
(uploaded Nov. 5, 2013)
On October 11, 2012, Lyle gave a presentation at the Pathways to Prosperity Conference in Yellowknife. The conference focused on issues of northern governance and economic development in the Northwest Territories. In the video below, Lyle discusses some of the benefits of the community network -- once the construction work has been completed.
First Mile: K'atlodeeche's Community Fibre Optic Network
(uploaded Oct. 22, 2012)
(uploaded Oct. 22, 2012)
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