tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1668205114513391831.post1766505621636948289..comments2024-02-12T10:55:56.164-08:00Comments on Shift to the Future: Digital DivideBrian Kuhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12565982072371979984noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1668205114513391831.post-44239213612239411522011-08-09T14:51:07.513-07:002011-08-09T14:51:07.513-07:00@Gord... I think we are definitely heading to &quo...@Gord... I think we are definitely heading to "it is a right" with respect to solid access. It is increasingly difficult to fully engage in our world and society without good access. I hope Canada does make this a priority! Thanks for the article - it was an interesting read.Brian Kuhnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12565982072371979984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1668205114513391831.post-7438586963800925152011-08-09T11:48:26.780-07:002011-08-09T11:48:26.780-07:00A DL student of mine that lived on an island recen...A DL student of mine that lived on an island recently had broadband introduced. The Minister involved is alleged to have said that it was "the right" of every Canadian to have broadband access. I am not going to track down the article, as they would likely say they were misquoted anyway, but this paper has a lot to say on the subject. <br /><br />http://www.powellriverrd.bc.ca/misc/internetaccess.pdfGord Holden (gholden@onlineschool.ca)noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1668205114513391831.post-67034753408357897802011-08-01T19:09:06.573-07:002011-08-01T19:09:06.573-07:00@Jarrod... yes, the challenge and cost to connect...@Jarrod... yes, the challenge and cost to connect increases proportionally to the distance from Metro Vancouver doesn't it. And the value to a vendor decreases similarly... it is a huge challenge but once the fiber is in, the doors are wide open with potential! Thanks for sharing the Fort St. John story - sounds like a good model.Brian Kuhnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12565982072371979984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1668205114513391831.post-19067729654816647022011-07-31T12:00:31.111-07:002011-07-31T12:00:31.111-07:00We've been fortunate in Fort St John with upgr...We've been fortunate in Fort St John with upgrades to our infrastructure for Internet. I would assume that is partly due to the economic engine that the northeast represents for the province. Part is also advocacy from our SD, and regional partner groups. I appreciate the work people at PLNet/SPANBC have done for and with us. We still have one school in town that will cost around 70k to upgrade to a fiber optic connection. Several other remote schools (yes remote compared to Fort St John) that will need some serious dollars and partnerships to connect. Fast, reliable, high bandwidth connections are critical for our future in education. Especially in places that have difficulty in finding a physics teacher for four students that want to take physics for example. Great opportunities exist via distributed learning if the Internet connection is available.<br /><br />We are doing well compared to many other parts of the province with our infrastructure. In a recent teleconference regarding the government deal with Telus, colleagues on the northwest coast were more concerned with access than what the deals could entail. There are communities in valleys that cannot get satellite service, and have poor cellular data service if any. I applaud the government on the deal, but there is serious work that will need to be done to connect the communities and the learners of this province.<br /><br />So how close are we to close the digital divide? Thousands and thousands of km of fiber optic cable apart. Whose responsible? All the levels of governments need to work towards and every school board needs to advocate for better Internet.Jarrod Bellhttp://www.prn.bc.ca/TSnoreply@blogger.com