'Analysis paralysis' stalling rural internet in N.S., entrepreneur says

A woman who runs a global consulting firm out of Annapolis Royal is expressing her frustration with a new report, released by the province this week, which assesses the state of rural internet in Nova Scotia, saying it's time to trade analysis for action.

The approximately $100,000 report,released by Nova Scotia's Department of Business on Mondayand prepared by Ernst&Young, analyzed the quality and range of internet services in the province and outlined some technical solutions, as well as their potential costs.

"It's analysis paralysis and it makes me crazy," Lisa Larter said. "Let's go hire a consultant and spend all this money to find out the same old crap. They've been doing analysis, since what, 2006?"

Larter said the internet service at her summer cottage in Parker's Cove, outside Annapolis Royal, seemed to be getting worse just before she made the decision to move her home and business there from Ottawa. She said she called Eastlink, and was assured it would improve.

She made the move, only to find the service was worse than ever, and working from home was impossible, Larter said. She scrambled to find office space in Annapolis Royal, and finally set upshop in a former internet cafe, she said.

"I literally spend $15,000 to $20,000 a year running this space because I can't get internet at home. Isn't that crazy?"

Not about Netflix

Larter said economic development in rural areas relies on high-speed internet. "This isn't about streaming Netflix," she said. "This is about people's livelihood, people being able to start small businesses and make a difference in the lives of their families."

"Even if you're making an additional $500 a month because you're operating a business online, all of that money goes back into the community," Larter said. "People can't do that from here, because the internet doesn't work."

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Avoiding the mistakes of the past

Elspeth McLean-Wile is another Nova Scotian who can't get high-speed internet at her home in Wileville, just outside Bridgewater, even though many of her neighbours can. But she said she's satisfied with the currentgovernment's approach.

In 2006, Premier Rodney MacDonald promised all Nova Scotians would have access to broadband internet by 2010. But that didn't happen.

"It was over-promised, under-delivered, and just infuriated people," MacLean-Wile said. "So I think, in attempt to get around all that, and not repeat the same mistake, the government is taking time to really look at this."

No immediate fix

MacLean-Wile, who chaired a public meeting alongside the Minister of Business at the Newcombville Firehall on Monday, said the consultant's report drives home the complexity of the problem.

The challenges are wide-ranging, she said."There isn't an immediate fix," and any solutions are going to take time and cost moneyto implement.

Nova Scotia's Department of Business announced in a press release it plans to ask municipalities for proposals related to rural internet, issue a call for information from service providers, and hire a team with technical expertise to develop a detailed plan and work with communities on projects for further development.

That team is expected to be in place this fall.

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