The Early Years1988: BCNET officially opened as Canada's first regional network providing the first Internet connection in B.C. with founding members UBC, SFU, UVic and TRIUMF. 1990: CA*net, Canada's first coast-to-coast regional IP network was launched to provide connectivity between Canadian universities and research organizatiions. It was supported by the National Research Council. 1993: BCNET relocated from UBC to SFU's Harbour Centre and became the province's first data communications 'carrier hotel'. B.C.'s first commercial ISPs follow, using BCNET's hub to connect to the World Wide Web. Commercialization & Growth1997: With the influx of competitive ISPs into the market, BCNET changed its governance model and returns to its academic roots. 1998: The federal government committed $55M to CANARIE to build a national advanced network for research and higher education. Next-Generation Networks2001: BCNET was approved by CANARIE and the Government of B.C. to develop and build B.C.'s regional advanced network. The Government of B.C.provided $1.6M in funding and CANARIE matched the funding. BCNET connected to CANARIE and buillt high-speed networks in Vancouver, Prince George and Victoria. 2001: UBC, UVic, SFU, UNBC and BCIT are connected to the advanced network using dedicated metro dark fibre. 2001: BCNET builds a Transit Exchange, a network services exchange, in Vancouver, Victoria and Prince George. 2005: The provincial government provided $3.15M to upgrade the network to 10 Gigabits and expand the network to Kelowna, Kamloops and Prince George. Lighting the Path for Research2005: Many new members joined BCNET such as TRU, Okanagan College and Interior Health Authority. New sites at SFU Surrey and UBC Okanagan are added to the network. 2006: Transit Exchanges are built in Kelowna and Kamloops Powering the Future2008: BCNET partnered with CANARIE to jointly manage the expansion and acquisition of new fibre optic networks using ROADM technology in B.C. connecting Kelowna, Kamloops, Vancouver, Victoria and Seattle. 2009: BCNET broadens its membership and governance. 2010: BCNET broadens its mandate to include shared information technology services for its members. |
History
BCNET was the birthplace of the Internet in British Columbia. It established the first connections in the province in 1988 with the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, the University of Victoria, TRIUMF and the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory.
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Core Members:
