In the 2022 Alberta Budget, the government upped its commitment to bridge the digital divide in rural communities.
The budget increased investment into rural broadbands to $390 million over four years. It is to develop the infrastructure to reach universal connectivity for rural, remote, and indigenous communities across the province.
“This historic $390 -million broadband investment will help close the digital divide and enable all Albertans to participate in our economic recovery. From education to health care and from agriculture to small business, connectivity will help Albertans interact with the global marketplace, innovate for local solutions and help diversify our economy, said Nate Glubish, Minister of Service Alberta.
Minister Glubish discussed the investment at a roundtable with Alberta Weekly newspapers Association journalists. He explained they will be announcing the projects funded this season in the very near future. The government announced last year funding of $150 million, and this was matched by the federal government. Last week they upped the provincial portion and are hopeful the federal government will increase its commitment as well.
“We continue to negotiate with the federal government to encourage them to join us in increasing their financial commitment to Alberta-based projects and match the provincial funding we have announced. I am cautiously optimistic we will have success there,” he said.
He estimates to achieve universal connectivity through the Broadband Strategy it would cost in the area of $1 billion.
“If we were able to secure from the federal government for matching, that would bring the total of the funding framework up to $780 million. Of course, this funding is to partner with telecommunication companies and internet companies that would actually be building the infrastructure. They wouldn’t be getting any of this for free, they are going to need to have skin in the game as well. I strongly believe if we can get the full matching from the feds, the private sector contributions will push us north of $1 billion in total,” he said.
Glubish said the technology employed will be based on what is needed and what is suitable for each location. This could be building on the SuperNet backbone to wireless and even satellite technology.
We need to be thinking about what is best suited to every individual project in every individual corner of the province,” he said.
He adds that affordability for customers is an aspect built right into the government’s Broadband Strategy.
“Access is one thing, but affordability is also very important. Right now we are focused on building out the first implementation of the traunch projects. As we negotiate with the private partners of the projects, a big part of the agreement that will be signed between us and them will outline an expectation of an affordable project at the end of the day. If the government is going to put in public dollars to support the build-out of this infrastructure, we need to make sure Albertans are going to be able to afford to use it.”
