Working with BC Communities

In 2005 the Province developed a plan to work with communities to ensure that all communities had affordable broadband access. Affordable access creates business opportunities for local profit and non-profit Internet service providers to offer service to homes and businesses.

A community engagement strategy was developed and the Province proactively contacted rural communities to find community champions to lead the development of broadband projects at the community level.

Today, many last mile services are in place and others are well underway. Profit and non-profit Internet service providers are playing a key role by accessing Internet gateways facilitated by the Provincial plan. They distribute service to homes and businesses, often in partnership with other community groups.

A community, as defined by the Premier's Technology Council (PTC), is a place with a public school, library or healthcare facility. The PTC identified 366 communities that fit that definition. Of those, 151 did not have access to broadband when the project began. The Schedule of Community Connections identifies when each of the 151 communities received a connection point available for local Internet service providers to access.

The role of the Province is to work with the private sector and the federal government to bring broadband to communities throughout the province. The role of BC communities is to ensure that the broadband access is provided to homes and businesses within their communities.

How does my community get involved?

Achieving reliable broadband connectivity is a first step in a community developing necessary information and communication technologies capacity. For a community network initiative to move forward, there has to be a community champion on the ground locally to enlist community support; to identify and promote the social and economic benefits available to the community from broadband services; to work with government and other funding sources in preparing for network implementation; and, to ensure the sustained operation of the network locally.

Network BC helps community champions by providing advice and facilitating relationships that help the community champion to put together a viable project.