SHARED

BACKBONE

Quality broadband and mobile services are a necessity for every community, no matter how remote. The service speeds and capacity available must support all communications activities – whether making mobile phone calls, transferring large files such as mapping data or digital x-rays, conducting online research for a school project, or simply watching a movie with the family.

As the demand for capacity continues to grow, it becomes ever more vital for adequate telecoms backbone to connect all communities with the rest of the world, and be designed to meet growing demand into the future.

The Qimirluk solution is a holistic approach, leveraging significant investments by private sector and government to greatly enhance backbone capacity for the benefit of all in remote communities. Wholesale backbone capacity is made available to local service providers through an open gateway, allowing state-of-the-art

broadband and mobile services to be delivered to consumers, business and government.

This backbone can be delivered in the short-term via high throughput satellite (HTS). For redundancy, and to meet the growing demand over time, additional satellite capacity can be deployed.

In time, as fibre and/or microwave, or other satellite technology such as Low Earth Orbit (ie LEOs) become available to some communities, HTS capacity can be shifted to other communities sharing the backbone while still providing critical redundancy in the event of a fibre break. For a detailed review of this critical aspect, see Planning Backbone Redundancy for Nunavut Communities.

OPEN

GATEWAYS

Central to the Qimirluk solution is the Open Gateway: state-of-the-art infrastructure in the community that serves as the vital hub linking local services to the backbone.

It is a point of presence where the shared backbone terminates and the last mile services start. It consists of various telecommunications infrastructure components (satellite, microwave antennas, and/or fibre connections), one or more container-sized units containing the electronic equipment to support the telecommunications infrastructure, backup power, the components necessary to manage the heating, cooling and safety of the equipment, as well as co-location facilities for alternative and competing local service providers (including SSi under the QINIQ brand).

In brief, the Open Gateway will:

• Allow access to the shared backbone, delivered via satellite, and fibre in the future
• Be installed in each community to provide co-location and tower space for equipment and antennas

• Make backbone and gateway services available on a utility basis to all service providers, thereby ensuring fair rates, reduced costs and local competition support

Beyond the network infrastructure, essential to the Qimirluk Solution is the delivery of training programs with local partners to build vital local service and support jobs.

By leveraging SSi’s infrastructure expertise, network improvements and new facilities can be deployed quickly and cost effectively. All remote communities in Canada can be efficiently and rapidly addressed.

Qimirluk is a made-in-Canada solution that can be exported to underserved regions around the world. Canada can provide a global showcase, where broadband overcomes the barriers of distance and any community, no matter how remote, can benefit from and participate fully in the digital economy.