DEVELOPING A COMMUNITY ACCESS APPLICATION
      
      This document provides further details on three of the five criteria that
      should be considered in the planning/development of a Community Access
      Centre application. They include:
      
      I)   Partnerships
      2)   Infrastructure
           A.Network Access
           B.Telecommunications
           C.General Access considerations
           D.Access Centre Follow-up
      
      3)   Organization
           A.Training Plan
           B.Financial Plan
           C.Sample Network Configurations
      
      A CAC is defined as the physical location (e.g. School, Library, etc~..)
      within a community where network access will be offered. The centre should
      be located within the community to allow convenient access to its
      residents.
      
      ii   PARTNERSHIPS
      
      Strong partnerships will provide a platform upon which a successful
      Community Access Proposal will be developed. This collaboration will
      comprise the expertise of numerous sectors within the community in order to
      develop and maintain the required technical, financial and management
      support. The aim is to develop a plan that is viable after federal
      government support is withdrawn therefore, the strength of partnerships
      will be a very important factor upon which applications will be evaluated.
      Applications should include letters of support from a broad range of
      community groups as attachments.
      
      Important partners should include but not be limited to:
      
      Technical Consultant/Access Provider This partner will provide essential
      technical and training support to the group. Ideally, the individual(s)
      will also advise the community on issues relating to use of the network
      including content development, Acceptable Use Policies and methods to
      conduct business on the network.
      
      Local Business/Chamber of Commerce/Economic Development/Entrepreneurs;
      These organizations or individuals can provide the necessary financial and
      organizational support and generate interest among local business. These
      organizations may be looked to for guidance in developing business
      opportunities. staff training and job creation using the network. Strong
      involvement of the local business community in this project will open the
      door to increased economic opportunities for the whole community.
      Library/Schools/Community Colleges: These partners may provide the physical
      locations for access centres, training and technical hardware as well as
      potential training personnel.
      
      Community Associations: Possible fundraising and promotion (eg. Rotary)
      
      Provincial, territorial and/or municipal governments: These partners may
      provide financial or in kind support.
      
      The community organization is encouraged to register as a not for profit
      organization. This will develop the necessary structure and assist in the
      definition of individual roles within the organization. Community groups
      with a firm organizational structure will be looked upon more favourably by
      potential investors/contributors.
      
           INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN
      
      The infrastructure plan should include the following components;
      
      
      2.A.Network Access
      
      An access provider must be identified along with the location of CACs. It
      is recommended that the number of sites be kept to a manageable number. The
      type of network access arranged (Dial- Up Terminal/SLiP or direct
      connection) will dictate the telecommunications requirements and access
      centre set-up.
      
      Access can be obtained from various sources. Regional networks within each
      province provide access to universities, colleges and increasingly to
      business. The regional networks are not for profit organizations governed
      by charters that state very specifically, why they will offer access to.
      The Regional Networks are listed below:
      
      YukonNet,Yukon          BcNet, British Columbia         Arnet,Alberta
      SaskNet, Saskatchewan   MBNet, Manitoba                 ONet, Ontario
      RISQ, Quebec            NSTN, Nova Scotia
      NBNet, New Brunswick    NFNet, Newfoundland
      
      Several provincial governments are currently extending network access to
      school boards and/or schools through the development of new or expansion of
      existing provincial networks (eg. Ontario Education Highway in Ontario,
      UNITE in New Brunswick). Guidelines concerning network usage should be
      consulted before approaching responsible officials for Internet access.
      These guidelines may state in very specific terms, what the network is to
      be used for, i.e. classroom instruction and school administration only.
      
      Alternatively, many commercial Internet access providers are also
      available. Various types of network access are available. They are:
      
      Dial-Up Terminal Emulation
      
      This type of access provides a full-range of text-based services (mail,
      telnet, gopher, USENET). This access does not provide access to graphics
      based applications such as WWW. Most providers of the access (Freenets,
      Universities, Colleges) offer this access for little or no charge to the
      user.
      
      Dial-Up SLlP/PPP
      
      This access allows your local computer to "talk~' Internet with the remote
      host. This allows your local computer to access Client/Server based
      applications such as WWw. Access providers such as Freenets and
      universities do not usually provide SLIP/PPP access.
      
      Direct Connection
      
      Organizations may choose to set up their own Internet node or obtain a
      direct connection to a provider via Integrated Services Digital Network
      (lSDN), co-axial cable or another high speed data connection.
      
      If a community organization chooses to obtain a direct connection, costs
      will include:
      
      *    line and hardware costs;
      *    network server configuration;
      *    network hardware and software upgrades; and
      *    system administration
      
      Network Access Issues
      
      Several very important issues must be addressed when an organization
      considers offering Internet access to the public. Due consideration must be
      given to the following:
      
      1)   Acceptable Use Policy: A community along with its access provider must
           develop an Acceptable Use agreement. This document outlines the
           definition of acceptable and appropriate use of the Internet and the
           networking resources provided. This legally binding agreement maybe
           used to revoke account privileges should guidelines be broken.
      
      2)   Access to Newsgroups: A Community Access organization and its access
           provider must agree upon which of the estimated 10 0(X) USENET
           newsgroups, will be accessible by clients of the centre.
      
      3)   File Upload and Download: Community Access organizations along with
           this access provider must develop a policy concerning restrictions to
           the uploading/downloading of files onto the network. 2.$.
           Telecommunications
      
      Data lines for Dial-up connections (Terminal Emulation and SLIP/PPP) must
      be installed at both the access centre and at the access provider.
      Commercial access providers supply lines/modems on their end. Community
      Colleges/Universities do as well. However, it is recommended that Community
      Access Sites fund modems and lines at universities and college access
      points, to ensure that student access to the institution's network is not
      reduced. The cost of line at the access centre is the responsibility of the
      Community Access Site.
      
      Leased Line or ISDN direct connect options must be considered carefully as
      hardware and monthly maintenance fees can be considerable. Availability
      will also be a deciding factor.
      
      2.C.General Access Centre Location Considerations
      
      The following criteria should be considered during the selection of a
      suitable physical location for Community Access centres:
      
      *     convenient and universal public access;
      *     extended hours of operation;
      *     co-location with administrative and information support resources;
      *     close proximity to technical support services;
      *     secured location; and
      *     suitable furniture and learning environment.
      
      Schools and libraries maybe considered ideal locations for these access
      centres, however, due consideration must be given to issues such as
      custodial services for cleaning centres and provision of resources such as
      disks, chairs, tables, bulletin boards, printer paper and toner cartridges
      to replace used resources.
      
      2.D.Access Centre Fit-up
      
      The type of Internet access secured for each centre will dictate the access
      centre set-up. Stand-alone or lab environments maybe utilized in these
      centres.
      
      Dial-Up Terminal Emulation
      
      Computer:               Minimum DOS low-end 8086 PC/equivalent Macintosh
      Modem:                  1200 baud
      Communication S/W:      Telix, Procomm or any other reputable software
      Other Software:         N/A
      
      SLIP/PPP
      
      Computer:               Minimum Windows 386 PC/equivalent Macintosh
      Model:                  14400 baud+
      Communication S/W:      provided by access provider, consult technical
                              consultant
      Other Software:         Application Client Software (Gopher, WWW Browser,
                              Newsreader, FTP.Mail required, can be obtained from
                              the access provider)
      
      
      Technologies which allow upwards of 12 simultaneous connections over one
      dial-up connection are available.
      
      Each Community Access Centre must also decide whether to offer network
      access to individuals from their homes via dial-up connection. The size of
      the model pool at the Access provider must be sized accordingly.
      
      After completion of this phase, community organizations should have an
      action plan in place that outlines network access and access centre fit-up
      arrangements including timelines and cost/revenue projections.
      
      
      ORGANIZATION
      
      A.TRAINING PLAN
      
      It is recommended that communities use a "train the trainer" approach in the
      provision of Internet and network training courses. The following elements
      should be identified in your training plan:
      
      1) Provider of initial training services (Access Provider?) and any
         associated costs
      
      2) Information on trainers to be trained (numbers, who, how they are going
         to be recruited)
      
      3) Plan for training of trainers (time commitment, costs etc...)
      
      4) Number of hours expected
      
      5) Nature of the training environment ic. stand-alone vs. networked lab,
         lecture vs. hands-on, documentation being provided, number of
         participants etc...
      
      6) Anticipated timetable for training courses
      
      1) Evaluation
      
      8) Promotion of training services to outside organizations
      
      B. FINANCIAL PLAN
      
      A successful application must present a viable financial plan which
      demonstrates financial stability during and most importantly, after support
      from the federal government is withdrawn.
      
      Applicants must show:
      
      Revenue
      
      Sources of revenue must be identified and secured for the duration of and
      beyond the 18 month pilot period. Suggested revenue sources should include
      but not be limited to:
      
      Account/Modem access fees
      Information Provider fees
      Local/Regional Government funding
      Training fees (optional)
      Fundraising
      
      In-kind donations:
      *phone (data) lines
      *modems
      *computer hardware
      *training services
      *network access
      *space
      *furniture
      
      Expenses
      
      Expenses incurred in the development of a Community Access Site may
      include:
      
      *Computer Hardware (computer, modem etc...)
      *Software (communication, other)
      *Telecommunications:
      *line installation (provider and access centre locations)
      *monthly maintenance
      *long distance
      *Staffing
      *Training services
      *Furniture
      *Other (Printer paper, toner cartridges, custodial services)
      
      C.SAMPLE NETWORK CONFIGURATIONS
      
      The following sections will attempt to detail several possible access
      scenarios that Community Access Sites may consider for their centre(s).
      
      I) Single dial-up modem connection with Terminal Emulation access.
      
      This is the simplest and most inexpensive form of access. Lower end local
      computer hardware is all that is required for terminal emulation (modest
      hardware and software upgrades to utilize SLIP). Telecommunications costs
      involve the installation and maintenance of a single phone/data line per
      centre, same at access provider (ideally). Several access centres within a
      community using this type of access will provide decent access for the
      community, however, training workshops may prove difficult with only one
      terminal per centre.
      
      Expansion of this design to provide access from multiple stand-alone
      computers is an option, however, the added cost of the telecommunications
      at both access provider and centre ends must be considered.
      
      2) Multiplexed phone line connection to a LAN.
      
      
      This arrangement allows a LAN to gain network access through a single
      dedicated phone line. This arrangement will involve higher initial
      equipment, software and support costs (if a LAN is not already in place)
      but will provide better access in comparison to that offered in Option 1.
      Telecommunications costs will be similar to those of option one. This is a
      relatively inexpensive solution that will provide multi-user access at a
      Community Access Centre.
      
      3) Dedicated line connection to an Internet Provider.
      
      Community Access sites may consider an option whereby their access site has
      a direct connection to their internet provider via regular leased line,
      Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) or coax cable. This option may
      be expensive due to the cost of the lines and requisite hardware. A
      community considering this option should consider equipping the access
      centre(s) with higher- end computer hardware, potentially adding additional
      costs to their proposal.
      
      4) Freenet Community Network
      
      Freenets, using inexpensive software, and a number of low speed modems give
      access to individuals in a controlled community-like environment. The power
      of the computer upon which the community network is based strictly on a
      function of the number of anticipated users. Freenets do not allow access
      to open telnet (remote connection) or file transfer (ftp) to/from the open
      Internet. Freenets provide access to Gopher, e-mail and USENET newsgroups
      Many freenets are now beginning to offer WWW access and documentation.
      Organizations such as Telecommunities Canada, which comprises of members
      existing and developing Freenets in the country, are available to provide
      assistance to individuals interested in developing a community network.