A Case Study in the Design and Development of a Community-Based Internet Assessment Initiative in Rigolet, Nunatsiavut, Canada

Abstract

Inequitable access to telecommunication networks is having discernible impacts on Canadians, particularly in more Northern and remote communities. More complete, available, and interoperable datasets are needed to better understand and work to remedy this inequity. Community-based internet assessment initiatives have been recognized as valuable programs in this pursuit; however, more research is needed on how to utilize available internet measurement tools and methodologies at the community level. The Rigolet Internet Assessment Initiative (RIAI) is a project located in and supported by the Inuit community of Rigolet, Nunatsiavut, to measure and better understanding the community’s telecommunications environment. The RIAI pilot collection period began in 2019 and involves collecting measurements every twenty minutes from ten participating households. This thesis presents the co-creation of the initiative, design of the system, development of the software suite, deployment of the integrated hardware tools, and analysis of a sample of the resulting dataset.