Students and staff at the Nunavut Arctic College will start the coming school year with unprecedented internet access, and academics in other parts of the territory might not be far behind.
On Tuesday, Aug. 22, the Iqaluit campus hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate its connection to CanadaSA国际影视传媒檚 National Research and Education Network (NREN), an ultra-high-speed satellite network that is purpose-built for research, education and innovation.
Nunavut was the last of CanadaSA国际影视传媒檚 13 provinces and territories to gain access to the national network, which is connected to more than 100 similar networks in countries around the world.
SA国际影视传媒淚 think this represents a great opportunity not only for Nunavut Arctic College and the students we serve but for Nunavummiut overall,SA国际影视传媒� college president Rebecca Mearns said to a large crowd at the ceremony.
Nunavut Arctic College (NAC) is now one of more than 750 universities, colleges, research hospitals, government research labs and similar facilities that comprise CanadaSA国际影视传媒檚 NREN.
While the NREN connection is currently only available at NACSA国际影视传媒檚 Iqaluit headquarters, the hope is that it will be available at the collegeSA国际影视传媒檚 campuses in Arviat, Rankin Inlet, Cambridge Bay and Clyde River in the fall, and other communities in the future.
Joanna Quassa, the Government of Nunavut minister responsible for NAC, said the collegeSA国际影视传媒檚 connection to the network was made possible by a SA国际影视传媒渦nity of effort and commitmentSA国际影视传媒� from the parties involved.
SA国际影视传媒淭his network will bring realtime benefits to the college, allowing its students, staff and programs to have dedicated bandwidth,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淭his is timely given the beginning of the new academic year starting in the coming weeks.
SA国际影视传媒淭urning on this network in five communities is an important first step,SA国际影视传媒� she added. SA国际影视传媒淚 wish this happened in the past while I was in college.SA国际影视传媒�
CanadaSA国际影视传媒檚 NREN, which is powered by a not-for-profit organization called CANARIE, is capable of carrying large data files, even from remote locations, and will allow students and researchers in Nunavut to access research instruments, high-performance computing centres and datasets from great distances. The network, which has a speed of 200 gigabits per second, carried 471,000 terabytes of traffic in 2021-22.
SA国际影视传媒淣etworks connect people,SA国际影视传媒� CANARIE president Kathryn Anthonisen said after the event. SA国际影视传媒淲e forget about that, and we talk a lot about the technology and the cable and the routers and all that, but really at the end of all that is people, and data, and perspectives, and knowledge that can be freely shared among as many people as possible.SA国际影视传媒�
SA国际影视传媒淭he focus of the network in these early days is really to support Nunavummiut in their research and education, and driving new opportunities that perhaps nobodySA国际影视传媒檚 even thought of yet. With this infrastructure, you can do incredible things.SA国际影视传媒�
NACSA国际影视传媒檚 connection to NREN was significant enough the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau prepared a statement for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, which Mearns read aloud.
SA国际影视传媒淭hereSA国际影视传媒檚 no small number of issues facing us today, however, through effective research, insight, debate and collaboration, there is no challenge too great for Canada to overcome,SA国际影视传媒� Trudeau said.
SA国际影视传媒淣unavut Arctic College connecting Nunavut to the National Research and Education Network SA国际影视传媒� a brilliant system expanding our countrySA国际影视传媒檚 researchers, educators and innovatorsSA国际影视传媒� reach SA国际影视传媒� will certainly help advance research partnerships and education opportunities for all Nunavummiut. Simultaneously, this partnership will also allow for the rest of Canada and the world to learn from the rich communities within Nunavut. Indeed, today is an historic moment.SA国际影视传媒�
NACSA国际影视传媒檚 connection to the NREN was made possible by financial contributions from the college itself, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA), the Nunavut Implementation Panel and CANARIE. Most of CANARIESA国际影视传媒檚 funding is provided by the Government of Canada.
