New group seeks to speed up Iqaluit’s internet

Nuvujaq Society, a Nunavut-based not-for-profit that’s looking to speed up Iqaluit’s internet services, will be holding a meeting Wednesday night at the Frobisher Inn. Mayor Madeleine Redfern will co-host the discussion. (FILE PHOTO)

If you’re an Iqaluit resident fed up with your slow, expensive internet connection, there’s a meeting tonight you may want to attend.

It’s being held by Nuvujaq, a new Nunavut-based not-for-profit, that’s looking at ways to cut back on how frequently the city’s internet users depend upon satellite connections.

It would do so by creating what’s called an internet exchange point, or IXP. That would allow, for example, Iqaluit residents to send emails with large file attachments to each other, without repeatedly bouncing information off satellites.

It would also allow Iqaluit internet users to download information off local servers, called a community cloud. That could allow residents to receive big files, such as software updates, with less hassle. The community cloud could also be used to serve northern-produced content.

The end result should save Iqaluit’s internet users bandwidth, and possibly money, according to a news release.

Tonight’s meeting, led by Madeleine Redfern, who is the president of the Nuvujaq Society, as well as the city’s mayor, will feature presentations by three experts in the field.

One is Jacques Latour, chief technology officer of the Canadian Internet Registration Authority, which manages the .ca domain. Another is Damir Bersinic, the hybrid cloud technical sales lead for the Canadian office of Microsoft. Mike West, the CEO of Nuvujaq, will also speak.

The Nuvujaq Society says it has developed strategic partnerships through meetings with the government and the private sector and is developing studies, business cases and plans based on regional and community needs.

Tonight’s meeting will take place in the Baffin Room at the Frobisher Inn at 7 p.m. No registration is required.