What Should The NDI Be Investing In?

Monday, May 17, 2010 03:45 AM

If the Northern Development Initiatives Trust is to fulfill its mandate, it should be looking at the recent KPMG study in which the city of Prince George was listed as a very good location for a serious IT investment.

As it now stands, we have one first class fibre system which reaches into the lower mainland giving us extremely fast internet service. The down side of any corporation looking at Prince George to set up shop is that problem.

Companies are saying that for $15 million dollars a second fibre pipe line could be set up, which could, for example head north through the Pine Pass, pick up Dawson Creek, Ft St John , intersect Grande Prairie and then patch into the existing system in Edmonton.

It not only opens up our region to a bullet proof system, it also picks up communities along the way that are supposed to be part of the NDI Trust region.

Add to this mix the possibility of Alberta picking up at least a portion of the tab, and we have a full fledged internet system that can attract even the most powerful operators.

Instead the NDI Trust has become involved in the mortgage market, that market should be served by existing mortgage companies and NDI Trust was not established for that purpose.

Investing in facilities that are for the greater good of all of the people of the north should be the mandate of NDI, floating a mortgage to a private group does not fulfill that and a new look at what the NDI Trust is all about is in order.

I'm Meisner and that's One Man's Opinion

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Posted on Monday, May 17, 2010 03:45 AM in Views by Ben Meisner

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Comments

Posted by: gus on May 17 2010 7:57 AM

I have not kept up to date with the fibre capacity of this region. Whose system is it? What was the cost and what is the return on investment? How does investing in a second system work for NDI? What are the guarantees when compared to a mortgage on a real estate development?

Is the NDI's mandate to lobby and promote actions, set directions for the region, etc. Or is it merely to provide support? In other words, has some organization come to NDI with the intent of starting a second fibre line that also reaches to the north and NDI has refused them or is taking a wait and see attitude?

Can anyone on here provide some knowledgeable answers to such questions?

Posted by: gamblor on May 17 2010 11:36 AM

Are you sure there isn't a line up there already? Even if there is, the hwy 16 corridor experience has fibre optic cables bypassing smaller communities and providers unwilling to splice them in.

Posted by: SummerSoul on May 17 2010 2:58 PM

What happened to the idea of businesses investing their own money if this is such a great place for "IT"?
We put up the money, they rake in the profit, then move to China. Great idea.

Posted by: Eagleone on May 17 2010 11:19 PM

Great suggestion Ben. I fully concur with all of that. I especially like your free enterprise idea of building the infrastructure for an economic advantage we can all enjoy. The NDI Trust mandate is long over due... they seem to drift depending on the political wind and IMO it leads to corrupted business practices in the long run.

Time for a refocus and that's a good thing for sure.