Having grown up in one of the small communities being served by Route2, I can appreciate the many advantages that high speed internet would bring to the western part of PEI. I, for one, would not relocate to an area without high speed, and I except there are many like me. This opens up "the west" to telecommuting, letting anyone work wherever they want.

It is too bad that the federally-regulated telco has not seen fit to provide the service, and that a small company has had to do it. The telco already has plant in place for a wired network, and lots of cell towers that they could use for a wireless one. These Route2 guys are stringing their antennae on grain elevators and silos, water towers, and masts on hills in farmer's fields.

This is somewhat reminiscent of a relative, A.J. MacLeod, who paid to run a telephone line from Kensington to his store in Stanley Bridge, bringing telecommunication to a small rural community only two decades after the invention of the telephone. It it wonderful that visionaries still exist in this modern era!

I think it is great and especially when I got to see a bit of the glimmer way back when. It is interesting to think about how the network is literally being woven before the eyes of the community. Where will it end?

It has been a interesting journey over close to 8 years. There are many partners in the Route2 project and without any one of them, the project would have been difficult and perhaps impossible. There is the little company named Wireless Island that had a dream and the tenacity of that big ugly fly you keep trying to kill in the fall - and who keeps coming back. The City of Summerside, who showed an incredible understanding of the power of a network for Western PEI and who was the original (and continuing) champion of the Route2 project.

The various communities who came on board and supported the concept of high speed connectivity in their community. There were the vendors, who saw an opportunity to make a sale, and were prepared to invest time and equipment in a beta project. To name a few; Marconi Communications, Alvarion, Cisco and Compaq.

Of course the Federal government. Going back to previous Industry Ministers, Brian Tobin and Allan Rock, along with the main Sherpas of policy, there was a true understanding of what a community network should be. Despite incredible hostility from the telcoheads, they stuck with the right approach and the result was the Federal BRAND project. BRAND, ACOA and the support of Minister Joe MacGuire and MP Wayne Easter all added to the outcome we are seeing today.

Derek's thoughts on his regrets that the telcoheads did not do this are thoughts that I too have had. However, it is a fact that the Route2 network is a network that is owned by the community for the community. The telcoheads were invited to play, as well as the cableco - however as they could not own and control it, they had no interest - other than to be hostile to it. They, along with other carpetbaggers who say an opportunity to 'feather their own nest' quickly lost interest when they realized that the concept of community was the mantra of the network

As I said in the beginning - it has been an interesting journey.

Al, as to where it will actually end - that will be determined by the interest and demand for services. The project is driven by the people who live on the network.

Hopefully there will be a Route 2 East to cover off those who live on both sides of the Hillsborough River e.g. Mount Herbert and Frenchfort and have no access to high speed, and then continue on to East Point! There is also the vast south east which is not covered either...

Yes, it is good that the Willson's and the Ogg's have done this, and hopefully it is profitable. The only danger is that it is not, and they pull out. I somehow doubt that this would happen, as once people have high speed. they are not going back to dialup, and I'm sure that the communities will rally to keep it operating.

While the elves at Wireless Island are happy to be acknowledged, a project of this sort takes the energy, enthusiasm and passion of many partners. It also requires an understanding of community that, at times, has been a frustration. As in any business model, there has to be a plan for sustainability, and the Route 2 networks has a sustainability factor built in.

Access for those living in Eastern PEI has certainly been a disappointment. It might prove interesting to analyze where the BRAND money went, when the cableco won the project in the Morell / Mount Stewart general area. I am surprised to hear that Frenchfort does not have access. Perhaps they just lit the existing dark fibre that they already had in the area.

Any community that wants to establish a high speed network now has the ability to do so. All it takes is a passionate champion and money. That is something that seems to be rare.

The interesting thing is that it takes a relatively small amount of money and does not require - as some would try to convince you - a herd of imported engineers at US$1500 a day a head. We consciously used the model Derek refers to of how electricity and telephone first came to rural areas - people got out and strung it themselves. For the first time since canals in the 17th century, a community can now contemplate building, owning and managing a key strategic infrastructure itself, and run it for the benefit of the community. Ironically, with a minor investment a few years ago, Atlantic Canada could lead the world in connectivity, rather than trail even many developing nations. Sadly, looking after the vested interests came first and the very providers who refused to service rural areas themselves lobbied hard to block anyone else doing so.