RISQ meaning in General ?

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. The Risq is 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. It manages the education and research network in the Province of Quebec. This organisation offers telecommunication services to the Provincial universities and the Colleges of further education (CEGEP), the school boards, research institutes, university hospitals, government departments, agencies, cultural and service organizations.The RISQ acts as a place of information, coordination and expertise.

Since 1989, the organization was created to offer innovative solutions tailored to the needs of its members. Since then, RISQ has been a major component of the Internet in Quebec, and it also operates the QIX ™, the only neutral and public Internet exchange point in Quebec under the governance of the Montréal Internet Exchange.

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. With a very high capacity infrastructure at the forefront of the Internet, its broadband network covers approximately 7,000 kilometers across Quebec.

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.