Information to Community Broadband Networks

Guiding Principles Regarding Use

1. The use of the provincial government network will only be made available to communities that lack broadband.
2. Only one connection per community will be supported.
3. The connection will be available to for profit or not for profit ISPs that can demonstrate broad based community support as community champions for broadband services in their community and who will use the assistance to provide affordable broadband to the community. These connections are only available to ISPs.
4. Once affordable broadband connections become available in a community the connections to the provincial government network will be removed.
5. The use of provincial government network facilities will be until December 31, 2006. At that time the points-of-presence (POPs) established through the implementation of the next generation public sector network being developed by NetWork BC are scheduled to be in place.
6. Community traffic will be kept separate from other traffic on provincial government network.
7. Community traffic will not use the provincial government network's Internet gateways.
8. Community Networks will be responsible for their own Internet transit.
9. Community Internet traffic will not be subject to the Provincial Learning Network (PLNet) or the Government’s acceptable use policies, nor will there be any security filtering done by the provincial government network.
10. The provincial government network will not provide Internet Protocol addresses for community network use.
11. Community networks are responsible for all on-going costs to connect to the provincial government network.
12. Under certain conditions the community network may share the existing provincial government network PLNet connection at a local school. The following conditions will apply:
    1. The school must agree with sharing their existing connection.
    2. School traffic will always get priority.
    3. Community traffic will be kept separate from the school’s traffic.
    4. Problem resolution may be delayed during school holidays, weekends and after normal school hours
    5. The school may charge the community network for using the facilities.
    6. There needs to be a signed agreement between the school district and the community network.
    7. Use of the provincial government network (PLNet) facility will be until December 31, 2006.
13. Funds are available to assist community networks with on premises costs to attach to the provincial government network. These costs will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
14. NetWork BC will coordinate the vendor orders for the community networks.
15. NetWork BC has the right to refuse any request for connection.
16. NetWork BC will ensure that the proper protocol agreements are in place to provide secure site access and security of data before a connection is made.

Supplier Offerings

The following supplier offerings will help make community network connections more affordable:

1. Telus EB-1
   In some communities Telus is offering an EB-1 broadband circuit (1.5 Mbps) between the community network and any existing Telus access at an Internet service provider or provincial government network centre.
   
   Telus will bill the community network directly. The circuit is offered at current market rates but Telus is offering a ‘Community Connection Grant' to ensure the cost of the broadband connection is no greater than $713 per month.
2. Peer 1 Internet Transit
   Internet transit provider Peer 1 is offering a flat rate Internet access service to community networks. NetWork BC will direct all community network Internet traffic to Peer 1 in a separate virtual local area network over the existing fibre facilities that run between the provincial government network's Vancouver Network Centre and Peer 1’s location.
   
   Peer 1 will bill the community networks directly at a monthly rate of $200 per 1.5 Mb connection with unlimited usage. There is a one time $100 set up fee and a contract term of two years. If more than 30 communities sign up the rate will drop to $175 per month for all existing contracts and if more than 60 communities sign up the rate will drop to $150 per month.
   
   Peer 1 will supply all the necessary Internet Protocol addresses to the community networks at no charge provided that 80% are used as per American Registry for Internet Numbers' or ARIN's guidelines.
   
   Community networks that connect directly into a local regional network centre or RNC (see option 4 below) will be charged by Common IT Services a monthly rate of $705 ($600 for wide area network connectivity and $105 for an RNC ethernet port).
   
   Rates for power and space (see option 2 below) will be charged by Common IT Services at a rate of $50 per month for power and $3 per month per rack unit for space.

Connection Options

There are a number of connection options listed here in order of preference:

1. Telus Direct Connection to Internet Service Provider
   Telus provides an EB-1 circuit to the community network and connects it to an existing Telus access at an Internet service provider. In this option the community network traffic will not traverse the provincial government network, but will be sent directly to the Internet service provider across Telus’ network. The monthly cost to the community network will be $713 plus their Internet transit costs.
2. Provincial Government Network Centres used as an Open Access POPs (for larger networks only)
   Provincial government network centres can be used as a ‘meet me’ location, where a community network can connect to a wide area broadband supplier. The community network does not connect to the provincial government network, but connects directly to a service provided by the broadband service provider. In most cases, the service provider will be the same one that provides the wide area network services to the provincial government network. The community network will be responsible for all costs of bringing its equipment/fibre to the regional network centre. NetWork BC will provide power and space only.
3. Telus Connection to Provincial Government Network RNC
   Telus provides an EB-1 circuit to the community network and connects it to a NetWork BC provided router in the provincial government network's Vancouver network centre. Traffic is sent from this router to Peer 1 over a virtual local area network (VLAN) keeping this traffic separate from government traffic. The monthly cost to the community network will be $713 plus $200 for Peer 1 network traffic.
4. Direct Connection to Provincial Government Network RNC
   This option requires the community network to connect directly to a provincial government network centre. The community network traffic would then be tunnelled through the provincial government network to a NetWork BC provided router in the provincial government network's Vancouver network centre. Traffic is sent from this router to Peer 1 over a separate virtual local area network. This option will be utilized only when there is no Telus EB-1 for a community or Telus does not have a circuit available. Community networks will be responsible for bringing their traffic to the provincial government network RNC. The monthly cost to community networks will be $705.
5. Direct Connection to PLNet School
   This is only available only where none of the previous options are available, or because of economic necessity - all other options are too expensive for the community network. In order to qualify as an economic necessity, the community network must be servicing a population of less than 300 people.
   
   Under this option the community network will connect to any school that has a PLNet (provincial government network) connection and sufficient capacity to carry the community traffic. The Community Network will share the bandwidth on the existing access and their traffic will be tunnelled through the provincial government network NetWork BC provided router in the provincial government network's Vancouver network centre. Traffic is sent from this router to Peer 1 over a separate virtual local area network. The Peer 1 cost of $200 will apply and any monthly charges levied by the school or school district. It is the responsibility of the community network to acquire the authorization of the school district before the service is installed.
6. Satellite Service
   This option is for some communities who do not have access to land lines. NetWork BC will ensure all protocol agreements for physical site access, data security and maintenance are in place before a connection is established. The monthly cost to community networks for access to the service will be determined on a case-by-case basis. In all cases the community will be responsible for the cost of their Internet transit.
7. Special Assembly
   It is possible that none of the other options will work for a community or that they require significant alterations. NetWork BC is prepared to look at other proposals or options on a case-by-case basis and work with the provincial government network to provide a solution, provided that none of the other options are available

Ordering

NetWork BC will place orders on behalf of community networks to Telus, Peer 1 and to Common IT Services for provincial government network changes. Community Networks must have signed agreements with these organizations before NetWork BC will process orders.

Responsibilities

1. Community Networks
   • All last mile connections within a community.
   • All costs associated in connecting to a provincial government network centre or PLNet
     school.
   • All Internet changes and Internet Protocol addressing.
   • Monthly costs for Telus EB-1 circuits or satellite connection.
2. NetWork BC
   • Liaising with community networks and helping to choose an appropriate option.
   • Placing orders to Common IT Services, Telus and Peer 1 on behalf of the community
     networks.
   • All on premises one-time installation fees for the above orders.
   • Installation and monthly cost of router in Vancouver RNC to forward traffic to Peer 1.

Some of this information is technical in nature. For more information please contact either Fran Rothman or Dianne Flynn.