CANARIE Awarded $80 Million

CANARIE (The Canadian Network for the Advancement of Research, Industry and Education) recently received a commitment of $80 million from the federal government. This money will support CANARIE's Phase II activities over the next 4 years and is expected to result in a total investment of over $400 million. CANARIE is an industry led and managed consortium that was created in 1993 as an innovative way for government and industry to collaborate in stimulating the development of the Information Highway in Canada. ACT is one of over 140 private and public members of CANARIE.

CANARIE's Phase I accomplishments include the establishment of the National Test Network, of which RNet is a component, the upgrade of CA*net to T1 (1.54Mbps) speeds, and the funding of a number of cultural and educational projects. Total investment for Phase 1 activities will be over $100 million, of which the federal government is contributing $26 million.

There are four components to CANARIE's Phase II:

1. The Technology and Application Development Program which will focus on the development of new products and applications for the Information Highway.
2. The National Test Network which will be further expanded to more locations in Canada and with connections to other similar networks elsewhere in the world. It will be used primarily for development and testing of new applications and technology for the Information Highway.
3. The Operational Network will move to higher capacities and CA*net will be moved toward being self-sufficient.
4. An Outreach Program will promote the development of Canada's information infrastructure and the evolution of an information-based economy and society in Canada.