Key people Michel Vanier (CEO) Founded 1989 | Website www.risq.quebec | |
 | ||
Type Not-for-profit cooperative Industry Telecommunications network Headquarters Montreal, Quebec, Canada | ||
Colloque risq 2016 entrevue nancy rancourt
The Réseau d'informations scientifiques du Québec (RISQ; lit. "Quebec Scientific Information Network") is the optical research and education network in the province of Quebec, Canada. A non-profit cooperative established in 1989 by leaders from Quebec's universities, RISQ originally connected those universities to the U.S. government's NSFNET using leased telephone connections. The Government of Quebec provided RISQ with a $37 million grant in 2000 on the condition that the network expand to cover all post-secondary institutions in the province. RISQ now operates a high capacity broadband network throughout Quebec using over 6,000 kilometres (3,700 mi) of fibre-optic cable.
RISQ provides broadband Internet access to its over 150 member institutions which include universities, CEGEPs, teaching hospitals, government departments and agencies, non-profit organizations, and the Mont Mégantic Observatory. It serves approximately 750,000 users.
RISQ connects to research and education networks elsewhere in Canada and internationally through the national CANARIE network, which exchanges with RISQ at the Montreal Internet Exchange. It also maintains a direct connection to the Ontario Research and Innovation Optical Network via Ottawa.