Today, the governments of Canada and Alberta announced a joint investment of over C$96 million to bring high speed internet access to more than 10,000 homes in 46 rural and remote communities in Alberta. That includes nearly 2,300 Indigenous households.
“This investment will be a game changer for residents in 10,000 homes in rural and remote communities all across Alberta, ” said Nate Glubish, Alberta’s minister of Technology and Innovation. “Access to reliable, high-speed internet will provide better education, health, and economic opportunities, and will ensure that rural and Indigenous communities are full partners in Alberta’s growing economy.”
Since 2015, the Government of Canada has invested more than C$464 million in connectivity projects in Alberta.
The announcement, the release notes, brings the Government of Alberta closer to achieving its goal of bringing reliable high-speed internet access to every community in the province by the end of the 2026–27 fiscal year.
It also builds on the Government of Canada’s progress toward ensuring that 98 per cent of Canadians have access to high-speed internet by 2026, and 100 per cent by 2030.
This investment is part of the Canada-Alberta broadband partnership, announced in Mar. 2022, to provide 200,000 households across Alberta with high speed internet thanks to a joint provincial-federal investment of up to C$780 million.
TELUS, Arrow Technology Group, and Tough Country Communications will be undertaking a total of 14 projects to fulfil the investment announced today.
“By bringing our world-class PureFibre Internet to these communities, we will unlock new economic and social benefits for generations to come, as we have done for more than 375 rural communities and 166 Indigenous lands across Canada in recent years,” said Tony Geheran, chief operations officer of TELUS.