British Columbia Community Networks Wisdom from Campbell River Pioneers

• Pat Presidente, Executive Member, Campbell River Community Network (CRCN), Telephone: 287-9030 (h), E-mail: pat.presidente@sd72.cn.camriv.bc.ca
• Geoff Goodship, CRCN Executive Member, E-mail: geoff.goodship@access.cn.camriv.bc.ca
• HomePage -- http://www.cn.camriv.bc.ca

The working together of Campbell River Community Network, School District 72, Campbell River TV Association, and Island Internet has enabled us to provide a state of the art infrastucture for the school district and community. Other school districts are indeed envious of the 10Mbps throughput we enjoy to all locations on our WAN. Anyone on the WAN can then access our 56K frame relay to the internet. I am sure it won't be too long before the municipali ty, hospital, museum, etc. will also be able to link directly to our WAN through the two-way cable system CRTV and the school district are building.

The school district pays for the internet feed, providing full internet access to its employees. They provide the feed to CRCN so that it can give internet e-mail and newsgroups to the rest of the community. In return, CRCN allows the school district to utilize its modem pool, so SD employees can establish PPP connections from home.

Technical Components

• Two Pentium 90 systems: 1 with DOS running Galactacomm's World Group software, 1 with linux providing web services
• 16 phone lines connected to twelve 28.8 modems and four 14.4 modems

• Sayward
• Quadra Island
• Cortes Island
• Courtenay

• The strength of Community Nets lies in the number of contributing information providers rather than just the number of users. Those who contribute feel some sense of ownership. A well developed sense of ownership by contributors is essential and will do more to sustain a community net than any other single factor.
• You really have to work to achieve self-sustainability and local support is crucial.
• A "technical wizard" is essential.
• Go with a structure that you know you can support (i.e. Instead of UNIX, perhaps DOS).
• Don't get in over your head -- set reasonable expectations.
• You need someone to provide "the glue" to keep it all happening -- someone with good organizational skills and lots of energy and time to commit.

• One, slightly overdue CAP grant from Industry Canada
• Campbell River needs a back-up system and support for more dial-up connections.
• All CommunityNets need funding for paid staff positions.
• New ways to get more members involved as information providers.
• Affordable 10 MB pipes to the Internet for BC CommunityNets outside the Lower Mainland.
• A well connected province-wide network of CommunityNets.

For further information:
EMail: bccna@bccna.bc.ca
Phone: (250) 727-2489 (in Victoria)
Toll Free (BC): 1-888-727-2226
Fax: (250) 727-6418

This file was last edited: May 17, 1996