Trent is part of a consortium talking about installing a high speed communications network shared by local public-sector groups.

         Leaders from Trent, Sir Sandford Fleming College, the two city hospitals, both school boards, Peterborough city and county, the Peterborough Utilities Commission and the Ministry of Natural Resources along with the Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce have a federal grant of $80,000 to study the plan for a common network. They have been meeting since July.

        "The alternative would be for each of us to go our own way, probably with poorer systems," said acting VP administration John Earnshaw, who represents Trent on the consortium.

        The group is using the grant to hire consultants to help prepare an application for an Ontario partnership grant competition this fall, says Earnshaw.

        Lori McHardy, Trent's Computing and Telecommunications Services Department, chairs the group's technical committee reviewing the project and seeking technical partners.