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Premier Rodney MacDonald's column
High-speed Broadband Expansion Has Begun
Chronicle Herald
January 8, 2007
Last week at Northport Elementary School in Cumberland County, the grade three students sat front-and-centre while parents, community members and business owners were right behind them. They were all there as my government announced high-speed broadband Internet expansion has begun, starting with their communities from Tidnish to Port Howe.
These savvy young students already know a lot about the Internet—hands went straight up when I asked whether they knew about Webkinz pets and the related website where children can virtually feed and care for their pets. Some parents and other adults from the community in the audience didn't know about the toy, but they certainly know the opportunities the World Wide Web holds and the importance of a high-speed broadband connection to get the full benefits.
Cathy Pipe, a resident and businessperson in this area along Nova Scotia’s Northumberland shoreline, was one of four community representatives who worked with a dedicated team of experts from industry, government, academia and the Cumberland Regional Development Association (CREDA) to evaluate and choose a company to provide cutting-edge broadband to this unserved area.
Like many people living in rural and remote parts of Nova Scotia, Mrs. Pipe said being limited to slow dial-up Internet affects people’s lifestyles and it affects the competitiveness of their businesses.
Tidnish Bridge businessman, David Mosley, has clients for his point of sale software and hardware throughout Atlantic Canada, the rest of the country and also overseas in the Middle East. Mr. Mosley said everything he does is dependent on using the Internet. He installed a satellite system to link to the Internet, but it’s expensive and he needs something better and less costly to upload or transfer data. Mr. Mosley has resorted to sending his employees to their homes in Amherst to use their own high-speed broadband connections.
This will no longer be necessary. Seaside Communications of Sydney has won the contract to begin providing broadband within weeks to the communities from Tidnish to Port Howe. The company will work with my government and the local communities to develop a viable business model that can be used in other unserved areas. Broadband expansion throughout the province will continue this year with all areas to be completed by the end of 2009.
Our goal is to be the most connected jurisdiction in North America. This, along with other targeted measures, will advance Nova Scotia toward my government’s vision of making the province a leading information technology (IT) jurisdiction.
Becoming a leader in information technology will ensure that we are well positioned to compete in a global economy. IT enhances productivity and provides access to the best information possible at unparalleled speeds. IT is truly a form of innovation that touches every corner of our province, people’s quality of life and their businesses—no matter what business sector. Just as important, it will build on Nova Scotia’s traditions, pride and culture to ensure that our communities are thriving places to live, work and do business.
Last week's forward step with high-speed broadband will present more opportunity to bring jobs to areas like the communities from Tidnish to Port Howe, according to Corey Ogden, 20, a student who grew up in Northport. He, like each of us, is optimistic the province will see younger Nova Scotians staying or returning to the province.
And as David Mosley put it: you give people the tools and the way to communicate and things will happen.