National telecommunications institute launched

The Communication Research Centre (CRC) is the headquarters for a new National Capital Institute of Telecommunications (NCIT), which has received $36 million in cash and other commitments over a five-year period. Its mission is to conduct research into broadband networks and applications by pooling public and private research expertise. More than a year in the planning stages, the NCIT is a partnership between the CRC, the National Research Council, the Univ of Ottawa and Carleton Univ. The founding private sector partners are Nortel Networks Corp, Newbridge Networks Corp, Bell Nexxia and QNX Software. Major funding is being provided by the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Ontario R&D Challenge Fund. Research is now underway in five key areas: fibre optics and wavelength division multiplexing, broadband wireless and components, network management and software for distributed computing systems, Internet technologies and multimedia communications and applications. It will be conducted at four laboratories connected by an advanced optical IP network. The Institute will be the subject of a major article in a future edition of RE$EARCH MONEY....