News 2008
News 2007
News 2006
News 2005
News 2004
News 2003
News 2002

Internet Network Upgrade Ready for Nunavut

IQALUIT – (December 3, 2009) Residents in communities across all of Nunavut will soon benefit from significant improvements to their QINIQ Internet services, thanks to collaboration between the Government of Canada, Nunavut Broadband Development Corporation (NBDC), and the operator of the QINIQ network, SSi Micro Ltd. [PDF]

See full release on Government of Canada website:
http://www.infc.gc.ca/media/news-nouvelles/csif-fcis/2009/20091203iqaluit-eng.html

NBDC and QEC Settle

IQALUIT - (September 2009) - NBDC and the Qulliq Energy Corporation have settled their dispute out of court. The board and officers of NBDC want to thank the many people who assisted our two parties in reaching a resolution. All court proceedings have been dropped, and all paperwork and financial transactions required as part of the settlement were completed as of August 31, 2009.

Broadband investment for Nunavut’s growth

YELLOWKNIFE – (August 29, 2008) The Government of Canada announced a $21,601,175 broadband investment today for Nunavut, based on the 5-year plan, “Managing Bandwidth – Nunavut’s Road Ahead” prepared by the Nunavut Broadband Development Corporation (NBDC) earlier this year.
See NBDCs reaction to the federal investment: [HTML] [PDF]

Northerners To Benefit From Better Internet: Government of Canada supports broadband expansion across Nunavut and the Northwest Territories

Yellowknife, (August 29, 2008) — Northern communities' broadband access is about to improve. The Honourable Diane Ablonczy, Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism), on behalf of the Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, along with Darrell Ohokannoak, Chairman of the Nunavut Broadband Development Corp (NBDC), and Darrell Beaulieu, President and CEO of Falcon Communications GP Ltd, today announced federal support of $36,415,295 for the expansion of broadband access across 56 communities in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories (NWT) in Canada’s North. See full release at the Government of Canada website

GN Department of Education wins Silver in The Institute of Public Administration of Canada for 2007 for Nunavut Community Skills Inventory System

WINNIPEG - (August, 2007) The Department of Education won a silver medal for Innovative Management from the Institute of Public Administration of Canada at the Annual IPAC conference held in Winnipeg August 26th, 2007. This important award was a recognition of the work being done by the Department of Education with the Nunavut Community Skills Inventory System database, originally developed by NBDC and a team of developers. For more information on the excellent work of the Department making use of broadband connectivity for creating economic opportunity for Nunavummiut, see the IPAC website page on NCSIS at http://www.ipac.ca/Award_InnovativeManagement2007Nunavut

Coolest New Broadband Tools on Display in Iqaluit

Iqaluit, NU - (March 21, 2007) Baffin Island Community Service Providers (CSPs) of broadband services are trying out the latest broadband technologies planned for the QINIQ broadband network during a CSP workshop in Iqaluit, March 21-26th. [HTML] [PDF]

Nunavut Broadband Meets in Yellowknife – Nunasi contributes to NBDC

YELLOWKNIFE – (March 8, 2007) Nunavut broadband Community Service Providers (CSPs) are hosting a Demonstration Day on March 8th, showing the latest broadband technologies developed to meet Nunavutcommunity needs… Nunasi Corporation has joined in the efforts to ensure Nunavut communities are well served. HTML [PDF]

Intelligent Community Forum Announces “Smart 21” Communities, Finalists for Top Seven Intelligent Communities of 2006

NEW YORK (November 18, 2005) –The Intelligent Community Forum announced its list of 21 communities that are now finalists for its Top Seven Intelligent Communities of 2006 honors. The “Smart 21,” as ICF calls them, were selected from formal submissions by communities large and small from August through October. The announcement of these 21 finalists is the first major step in the selection of the Top SevenIntelligent Communities of the Year, which are models for the development of prosperous local economies based on broadband and information technology. Click HERE for the PDF of the Forum’s press release.

NBDC Uses Broadband to Webcast AGM

Iqaluit , NU – June 8, 2005 - Members of the Nunavut Broadband Development Corporation (NBDC) watched the NBDC Annual General Meeting on a broadband webcast carried over the new QINIQ broadband network. The main AGM meeting was held in Rankin Inlet on May 27th, 2005 with NBDC members watching the proceedings from computers in 16 different locations, all of which were hooked up via the new QINIQ broadband network service. Read full text here: [HTML] [PDF]

Nunavut Launches the “Largest, Coolest Hot Spot on Earth

”RANKIN INLET, May 26, 2005 – Residents of Nunavut are celebrating the launch of “QINIQ” – Nunavut’s new wireless broadband network in Rankin Inlet today. Read full text here: [HTML] [PDF].

The Government Of Canada Makes A Strategic Investment
In Broadband Development In Nunavut (Press release issued by INAC)

IQALUIT, NU (March 18, 2005) - The Honourable Andy Scott, Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians, and Nancy Karetak- Lindell, Member of Parliament (MP) for Nunavut, announced today an investment of $551,569 in two projects that support the development of broadband in Nunavut. Read full text HERE.

5-Year Training Strategy Research Begins

Iqaluit , NU February 9, 2005 -- The Nunavut Broadband Development Corporation (NBDC) today launched a major study to determine what training would be needed to help residents of Nunavut take the fullest advantage of the new broadband capacity. For more information, click HERE.

Broadband Services to Nunavut communities will not launch by Christmas

IQALUIT, NU December 9, 2004 - The Board of Directors of the Nunavut BroadbandDevelopment Corporation (NBDC) regrets to announce that broadband services will not be available in Nunavut communities by Christmas as originally planned. Although negotiations between NBDC and the federal government for satellite bandwidth assistance have been successfully concluded, formal approvals are still needed before the funds can be released. See NBDC release HERE.

Inuit Organizations Provide Critical Financing Needed To Launch Nunavut-Wide Broadband Service

RANKIN INLET, NU May 11, 2004 - The Board of Directors of the Nunavut Broadband Development Corporation (NBDC) is pleased to announce that financing has been secured from Atuqtuarvik Corporation to match government funding, allowing high speed internet services to be established in all Nunavut communities by next spring.

"The final pieces of the puzzle are now in place," says NBDC Chair Patrick Tagoona. See NBDC release HERE.

DIAND News Release - GOVERNMENT OF CANADA INVESTS $98,000 IN BROADBAND DEVELOPMENT

IQALUIT, NUNAVUT (February 19, 2004) - On behalf of the Honourable Andy Mitchell, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Nancy Karetak-Lindell, Member of Parliament for Nunavut, announced today that the Nunavut Broadband Development Corporation is to receive $98,000 for a workshop critical to the implementation of broadband across Nunavut later this year.

Nunavut Broadband Relies on Fax to Elect New Board - November 20/03

IQALUIT, NU November 20, 2003 - Members of the Nunavut Broadband Development Corporation (NBDC) elected its first permanent board of directors using the simple fax machine - a communication technology that every Nunavut resident can currently access. The 150 NBDC members selected from 34 candidates competing for 7 available seats, by faxing or hand delivering completed ballots to an independent auditor in Iqaluit over the four days leading up to the November 18th AGM. Click HERE for full NBDC press release.

Industry Canada News Release - November 6/03

Member of Parliament, Nancy-Karetak Lindell Announces $3 884 850 for broadband Internet service for unserved communities in Nunavut

IQALUIT, Nunavut, November 6, 2003 - On behalf of Allan Rock, Minister of Industry, Nancy Karetak-Lindell, Member of Parliament for Nunavut, today announced that the Nunavut Broadband Development Corporation has been selected to receive assistance from Industry Canada to deploy broadband, or high-capacity Internet to an estimated 25 unserved communities in Nunavut.

Nunavut to benefit from cheaper access to satellite time - October 6/03

IQALUIT, NU Oct. 6, 2003 -- Nunavut is one step closer to realizing the dream of affordable broadband connections in every community with Industry Canada's announcement of subsidized bandwidth for remote communities.

But Nunavut has a long way to go before realizing the true benefits of higher bandwidth... For more information, click HERE for NBDC's reaction to the National Satellite Initiative.

National Satellite Initiative Infrastructure Funds Announced

Industry Canada has announced assistance for remote communities in the form of subsidized satellite services.

NBDC Submits Business Plan to Industry Canada BRAND program - June 6/03

The Nunavut Broadband Development Corporation submitted a comprehensive business plan to Industry Canada's BRAND Program on June 6, 2003. The plan outlines Nunavut's need for broadband, drawing on extensive research conducted in the NBDC Needs Analysis. The business plan proposes a sustainable model for providing broadband services to meet Nunavummiut needs, in collaboration with SSI Micro, Polarnet, Sakku Arctic Techologies, Nunanet, and Sanny Internet Services. For a copy of the Executive Summary, download HERE. For more information, please contact Patrick Doyle, Executive Director/CEO at doylepe@qiniq.com.

Broadband plan moves forward - May 28/03

IQALUIT, NU May 28, 2003 -- The Nunavut Broadband Development Corporation has selected Yellowknife-based SSI Micro and its Nunavut partners - Polarnet, Sakku Arctic Technologies, and Nunanet Communications, plus Sanny Internet Services in Sanikiluaq to work with NBDC to prepare its final business plan that aims to provide affordable broadband (high speed Internet) access to all 25 Nunavut communities. Click HERE for full press release.

Questionnaire - May 14/03

We thank the 300 people who took the time to fill in our questionnaires - giving us a fantastic base to determine Nunavut's needs for broadband. We will be using this data in preparing our business plan for Industry Canada. Thank you very much for your support in determining Nunavut's connectivity!

We will continue to post our progress on line as we move toward broadband for Nunavut. Please contact Patrick Doyle, Executive Director/CEO at doylepe@qiniq.com if you have any questions or comments!

Online responses to bidders/vendors now available - March 31/03

Bidders and vendors interested in bidding on the RFP for the Delivery of Satellite Services and/or for Community Broadband Services issued by the NBDC on March 21st, are encouraged to send questions directly to us by email at rfp@nunavut-broadband.ca.

Request for Proposals Issued - March 21/03

Delivery of satellite services
Community broadband service

The Nunavut Broadband Development Corporation invites satellite service providers, ISP's, interested businesses and organizations to submit proposals to provide:

the delivery of broadband capacity satellite services to all 25 Nunavut communities, and/or
the distribution of broadband services within communities in Nunavut.

Click HERE to download the RFP
Click HERE to download the sample proposal

Nunavut moves closer to high-speed access to the Internet - January 27/03

IQALUIT, NU January 27, 2003 -- The newly created Nunavut Broadband Development Corporation (NBDC) is starting work on a business plan that will lay the foundation for high-speed (broadband) access to the Internet for Nunavut residents.

Click HERE for full press release.

NBDC hires project manager for business plan development - January 24/03

Communication specialist, Lorraine Thomas, has been contracted to develop a comprehensive business plan for the NBDC. Working with the NBDC board and a technical advisory committee, she will be gathering information from Nunavut communities on their specific needs for broadband services, and issuing a vendor-neutral request for proposals from potential providers of broadband and related services. This information will be used to develop a final 10-year business plan for the NBDC to ensure broadband services are available to residents of Nunavut. Ms. Thomas's background includes working in both the non-profit and private sector in communications for the past 20 years.

Click HERE for full bio on Lorraine Thomas.

Industry Canada announces business plan funding recipients in BRAND Pilot Program - January 24/03

Proposals selected for business plan development funding were chosen from 222 submissions, based on recommendations by an arm's-length National Selection Committee.

Successful applicants will now use their funds to develop business plans to be submitted by May 22, 2003, in order to compete for implementation funding.

Click HERE for full release and list of recipients

NUNAVUT BROADBAND TASK FORCE

Report released

In September 2002, the Nunavut Broadband Task Force Report, Sivumuuqpallianiq, Moving Forward: Strengthening Our Self-Reliance in the Information Age was released. The report made twenty-six recommendations to the Minister of Sustainable Development on how to best implement broadband networks in all Nunavut communities. The Task Force was made of members primarily from the private sector, but also from non-government and government organizations.

Download:

Nunavut Broadband Task Force Report - Inuktitut (pdf, 1477Kb)
Nunavut Broadband Task Force Report - English (pdf, 1965Kb)

NUNAVUT BROADBAND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

BRAND Application

NBDC submitted an applicaion to Industry Canada under the Broadband for Rural and Northern Development Pilot Program (BRAND) in October, 2002.