{"id":14839,"date":"2018-06-03T21:31:15","date_gmt":"2018-06-04T04:31:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/?p=14839"},"modified":"2019-04-12T22:41:52","modified_gmt":"2019-04-13T05:41:52","slug":"paqtnkek-mikmaw-nation-builds-system-to-deliver-free-wi-fi-internet-to-homes-and-businesses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/?p=14839","title":{"rendered":"Paqtnkek Mi&#8217;kmaw Nation builds system to deliver free Wi-Fi internet to homes and businesses"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 class=\"deck\">Paqtnkek residents say project is good move for community &#8216;toward the future&#8217;<\/h2>\n<div class=\"byline\">\n<div class=\"bylineDetails\"><span class=\"authorText\">Luke Yoho<\/span><span class=\"bullet\"> \u00b7 <\/span>CBC News<span class=\"bullet\"> \u00b7 <\/span><time class=\"timeStamp\" datetime=\"2018-06-02T08:00:00.389Z\">Posted: Jun 02, 2018 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: June 2, 2018<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"placeholder\">\n<div class=\"placeholderImage aspect-56\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"loaded largeImage\" src=\"https:\/\/i.cbc.ca\/1.4687485.1527866703!\/fileImage\/httpImage\/image.jpg_gen\/derivatives\/16x9_780\/paqtnkek-first-nation.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em><strong><span class=\"imageMedia leadmedia-story full\"><span class=\"leadimage-caption\">An aerial view of Paqtnkek First Nation. A three-phase project to connect the entire community to Wi-Fi will start construction June 11. (Dennis Pictou)<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"story\">\n<p>Paqtnkek First Nation in Nova Scotia will begin construction this June on two towers that will deliver free internet access to homes in the community.<\/p>\n<p>The $600,000 communications initiative, which is\u00a0being co-funded by Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, will provide Wi-Fi to more than 130 homes in the community\u00a025 km east of Antigonish, N.S.<\/p>\n<p>Construction will begin June 11 and phase one is expected to be completed and operational by mid-July, with the remaining area\u00a0of the reserve gaining access by the end of August.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;For the band to do this, they applied to the CRTC for a licence to become a wholesale telecommunications provider, and in fact, were granted a 10-year licence,&#8221; said\u00a0Richard Perry, Paqtnkek&#8217;s\u00a0communication advisor.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"placeholder\">\n<div class=\"placeholderImage aspect-100\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"imageMedia image medium\"><span class=\"leadimage-caption\">Richard Perry is the communication advisor for Paqtnkek First Nation. (Richard Perry)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Two antennas will be built, which will broadcast a signal spanning up to 35 kilometres. Every home will be equipped with a small dish that will receive the signal and relay it to a router box, delivering a dedicated individual signal for every home. Residents can expect speeds of 20+ Mbps, competitive\u00a0with other local service providers.<\/p>\n<h2>Lightening the load<\/h2>\n<p>Several band members are optimistic about what this project will do for the developing First Nation,\u00a0expressing the financial benefits that would come from elimination of paying internet fees.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Stuff like this will go to fund food and just making people more comfortable when it comes to day to day activities all over the year,&#8221; says band member Gabriel Robitaille.<\/p>\n<p>The band has partnered with Halifax-based IT company <strong>Robotnik<\/strong> to install the systems <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>into every home<\/strong><\/span> and to help with the erection of the towers. The company will also help\u00a0Paqtnkek gain technical independence by offering training and hiring Mi&#8217;kmaq\u00a0personnel to assist with the maintenance of the operation.<\/p>\n<div>\n<ul class=\"similarLinks\">\n<li class=\"similarListItem\"><a class=\"similarLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/canada\/nova-scotia\/annapolis-valley-co-op-wifi-rural-internet-lawrencetown-1.4045850\" data-contentid=\"\"><span class=\"similarLinkText\">Want high-speed internet? Build it yourself, like these villagers<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"similarLinks\">\n<li class=\"similarListItem\">\n<div class=\"label flag\"><span class=\"labelText external\">OPINION<\/span><\/div>\n<p><a class=\"similarLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/opinion\/rural-internet-access-1.3969175\" data-contentid=\"\"><span class=\"similarLinkText\">When it comes to internet access, small towns might be better off without the big telcos: Opinion<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>Paqtnkek resident Merina Sark said\u00a0that it&#8217;s a great idea.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a really great move for our community toward the future,&#8221; said\u00a0Sark.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I always truly believe that we need to educate our people in everything. There&#8217;s always someone in your community that has those skills. You&#8217;ve just got to find [them].&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Paqtnkek&#8217;s\u00a0director of administration Darryl MacDonald\u00a0is confident the project will be a success, and hopes\u00a0the First Nation will be able to help\u00a0other reserves seeking to invest in similar projects.<\/p>\n<p>The reserve will also be providing free Wi-Fi to its\u00a0new commercial area as an enticement to\u00a0businesses.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/indigenous\/paqtnkek-free-wifi-internet-mikmaq-nova-scotia-1.4687220\">https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/indigenous\/paqtnkek-free-wifi-internet-mikmaq-nova-scotia-1.4687220<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Paqtnkek residents say project is good move for community &#8216;toward the future&#8217; Luke Yoho \u00b7 CBC News \u00b7 Posted: Jun 02, 2018 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: June 2, 2018 An aerial view of Paqtnkek First Nation. A three-phase project to connect the entire community to Wi-Fi will start construction June 11. (Dennis Pictou) [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[103,173,475,699],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14839","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-canada","category-first-nations","category-nova-scotia","category-paqtnkek-first-nation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14839","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14839"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14839\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14841,"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14839\/revisions\/14841"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14839"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14839"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14839"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}