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Newsgroups: can.infohighway
From: rwwatt@dcs1.uwaterloo.ca (Roger Watt)
Subject: CA*net Networking Inc -- May 1990 to March 1997
Message-ID: <E7xG0w.FBs@watserv3.uwaterloo.ca>
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Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 21:36:31 GMT
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I was one of the people on a distribution list to which the following was
sent earlier today by Ken Fockler, the President of CA*net Networking Inc. 
With his permission, I am posting a copy to the can.infohighway newsgroup. 

===

Today, March 31, 1997 is an historic, perhaps sad, but honourable day for
CA*net Networking Inc. and for Canadian communications and networking.

After approximately 2500 days of operation CA*net Networking Inc. is
ceasing operations at midnight tonight. 

Since 1990 CA*net has operated a National Internet Transit Service across
Canada with high speed connections to the United States from Montreal,
Toronto and Vancouver.  Thus providing a national backbone service to
large regional networks and other national networks.  CA*net has operated
points of presence in all ten provinces and in Yukon and the Northwest
Territories. 

CA*net was incorporated in June 1990, had its official launch in October
of that year but started phase one implementation of the CA*net network in
May 1990. 

CA*net grew out of the experience of NetNorth which in 1984 and 1985
linked many Canadian universities and colleges and connected to BITNET at
Cornell.

CA*net was created by existing, and soon to be existing, regional networks
in each province of Canada.  These networks served primarily, but not
exclusively, the academic and research communities of their provinces.

The need and strong desire to connect to each other through Canada, to
share the costs of these connections and to share costs of connections to
the United States was the basis of forming the physical entity CA*net. 

With the support of the National Science Foundation in the United States,
CA*net was directly connected to the NSFnet at Princeton, Cornell and
Washington State University. 

Under the leadership of the University of Toronto, in partnership with
INSINC and IBM Canada Ltd., the original CA*net network was designed and
implemented. 

CA*net, as a non-profit federally incorporated organization supported by
members fees had start-up grant funding from the National Research Council
for 1991 and 1992.  With minimal 56 kbps fixed link lines it achieved a
period of self sufficiency in late 1992 and early 1993. 

However, to meet expected demands, expansion of services and lines to the
northern territories, CA*net undertook a rapid expansion in 1994 and 1995
of its facilities and capabilities with the support and encouragement of
Industry Canada and CANARIE, (the Canadian Network for the Advancement of
Research, Industry and Education). 

From  mid-1993 until today CA*net has received funding support for its
operational costs from CANARIE under CANARIE's Phase 1 and Phase 2 support
programs.  Additional members and increased member user fees together with
the CANARIE funding support have allowed CA*net to maintain a breakeven
budget for the last four years. 

In 1995 CA*net chose Bell Advanced Communications, (BAC), as its new
supplier for its facilities and network operations.  Starting tomorrow,
April 1, 1997, (no it's not an April Fool's joke), BAC will offer a
national Internet Transit Service very much the same as the one they have
operated for CA*net for the past few years. 

CA*net was also more than a physical entity.  With a Board of Directors
consisting of ten individuals representing each of the ten regional
networks, or provinces, it was also a national association and forum for
discussion of networking in Canada well before the current hype and
commercialization of the Internet. 

While adhering to policies of good fiscal management, CA*net's mission and
focus has been on open and increased connectivity, improved access,
technical efficiencies, promotion of co-operation and understanding, and
representing the Canadian Internet Community nationally and
internationally.  As such this national body has dealt with, and resolved,
a wide variety of issues. 

Some of the physical activities have been increased capacities for various
parts of the country, new connection architectures at the CA*net points of
presence, the encouragement and adoption of new protocols and procedures
for more efficient traffic flows and address handling and the creation of
CA*net points of presence in Yellowknife and Whitehorse. 

CA*net also took the leadership in establishing an exchange point in
Toronto for exchanging Canadian traffic from other large networks, and
took the leadership in creating the Canadian Association of Internet
Providers, CAIP, which will carry on many of the CA*net association
functions at the national level. 

CA*net board members and staff have represented Canada at many
international and North American networking meetings, conferences and
workshops. 

CA*net, the network and the people, have played a major role in nation
building through the development and evolution of Canadian communications
networking.  It will no doubt be noted in the history books as one of the
institutions in Canada that shaped and influenced, not only the physical
infrastructure, but also the awareness and acceptance of a new
communications capability that will benefit Canadians in all aspects of
their lives. 

Regards,

Ken Fockler
President
CA*net Networking Inc
Voice	905-405-6212
FAX 	905-405-6214