>Mission
Our mission is to build and operate a community-owned and governed fibre-to-the-premises network, with open access middle-mile and backbone fibre, that brings and sustains industry-leading connectivity to every possible home, business, and civic institution in our member communities.
>our research
Community-owned broadband networks are growing as an alternative to the commercial model around the world. In fact, a community-run ISP was just announced as the top-ranked ISP in America. A Consumer Reports survey of 176,000 Americans found that small, locally-owned ISPs are routinely ranked higher than big telecom companies (source: https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/ne5k5m/consumer-reports-broadband-company-ratings ).
Traditional subsidies may drive commercial ISPs to build infrastructure in rural Canada, but these regions do not have the population density or income levels to sustain more than a single ISP — they are natural monopolies. While it is theoretically possible to regulate the prices and service levels of these ISPs, it is difficult to do so in practice. Thus, government may address the network coverage challenge, but there are significant risks to affordability and level of service.
Traditional subsidies may drive commercial ISPs to build infrastructure in rural Canada, but these regions do not have the population density or income levels to sustain more than a single ISP — they are natural monopolies. While it is theoretically possible to regulate the prices and service levels of these ISPs, it is difficult to do so in practice. Thus, government may address the network coverage challenge, but there are significant risks to affordability and level of service.
>why A cooperative
Cooperatives and other community ownership structures ensure that citizens can become politically, financially, and even operationally involved in the development of network infrastructure. Equally importantly, they ensure that consumer costs are as low as possible, which is essential to the success of a rural broadband network.
Our principles serve to distinguish us from commercial ISPs:
Despite its benefits, the idea of community ownership has been largely absent from Nova Scotia's conversation about high-speed Internet. We believe it is well worth pursuing, particularly in rural Lunenburg and Queens Counties, where the need for improved service is acute, commercial service providers consume subsidies and produce little ongoing benefit to the community, and our municipal councils have failed to develop a comprehensive long-term strategy to address the problem.
Our principles serve to distinguish us from commercial ISPs:
- Affordability: Rates that are as low as possible for a sustainable network, aided by ownership and governance of our own network infrastructure.
- Equity for subscribers: One rate for the same service, regardless of where we deliver it, with no usage-based billing.
- Sustainability: We will use cost-effective solutions to build, operate, and deliver services. We will specialize in our market to gain continuing advantages for our customers. We will educate, mentor, and when possible, employ members of our community, to further our mission.
- Industry-leading services: Services that achieve parity with the best examples industry-wide, beginning with speeds of up to and beyond 1 Gbps.
- Comprehensive coverage: We will exploit every efficiency to bring coverage to entire communities, and partner with residents and organizations to extend connectivity to underserved areas.
- ROI measured through community benefit: Our appraisal of ROI will include the economy, health, education, and equity of our communities, along with financial returns. Through our success, we will build the community’s sense of self-determination.
- Partnership-seeking: Though partnerships with government and businesses, we will extend our capabilities while concentrating our focus on the local community.
- Open access to middle-mile and backbone fibre: Facilities-based telecoms leverage their capital-intensive infrastructure against each other in competition. In rural markets, this practice is unsustainable. An open access network encourages shared infrastructure, reduces capital costs, and discourages waste.
- Transparency: We will inform and engage our community. We will make the barriers we encounter visible, and when necessary, advocate for change to overcome those barriers.
Despite its benefits, the idea of community ownership has been largely absent from Nova Scotia's conversation about high-speed Internet. We believe it is well worth pursuing, particularly in rural Lunenburg and Queens Counties, where the need for improved service is acute, commercial service providers consume subsidies and produce little ongoing benefit to the community, and our municipal councils have failed to develop a comprehensive long-term strategy to address the problem.
NOWLC Net Cooperative
Lynn M Hennigar - President
Victoria F MacDonald - Vice President
Elspeth Mclean-Wile - Secretary-Treasurer
Andrew Button - Director
Tina Hennigar -Director
Shanna Joudrey - Director
Heather MacKenzie -Carey - Director
Greg Singer - Director
Steve Song - Director
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