British Columbia Community Networks
Wisdom from Powell River's Pioneer
Contact Info:
- Bev Collins, Coordinator, Powell River Community Network
- Telephone: 485-4051 (w)
- E-mail: bev@prcn.org
- HomePage-- http://www.pr.mala.bc.ca/fpm/prcnsoc/sochome.html
Interview Notes:
- Public documents to share can be found at the Malaspina University College
(MUC) Electronic Education Project HomePage
http://aslan.pr.mala.bc.ca/fpm/mucfpm.htm. There is also a hands-on Internet
course and the Powell River Community Network (PRCN) H omePage and Committee
Archive.
- Equipment includes a Pentium, upgraded 486, a Sun, 16 line modem pool.
- There are no free accounts. Charges are $20/month based on 2 hours/day and
a monthly limit of 20 hours/month.
- Bev is prepared to write up a short document summarizing key lessons
learned.
- Powell River has been running in pilot mode since January 1995. Securing
the Federal Industry Canada Community Access Program funding has them ready
for operational service.
- There are currently 310 people registered on the network.
- Paid staff include a full-time Coordinator and part-time System
Administrator. There are 9 volunteers on the PRCN committee. The local Chamber
of Commerce has donated office space.
- An extensive list of sponsors, donors and information providers with their
letters of support can be found on the PRCN HomePage.
Bev's Wish List
is A Reasonably Priced Internet Connection!
- "We could do so much more if we had a reasonably priced Internet
connection."
- 128 Kbps access to the Internet currently costs $3000/month in Powell
River.
- T1 (1.544 Mbps) costs $11,000/month in Powell River versus $1000/month in
Vancouver.
- In November/95, BC Tel's Gary Wilson discussed a possible partnership to
reduce costs, but nothing has happened since.
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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 15, 1996