CRTC Puts $17M Into Expanding Rural Internet in Alberta, B.C., Ontario

The CRTC is putting more money into expanding high-speed internet in rural parts of Canada.

On Friday, the telecom regulator said it’s giving over $17 million to five companies to build about 330 km of fibre lines in 18 rural communities across Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario.

The money is coming from the Broadband Fund, a program launched in 2019 to help bring better internet and cellphone service to small, remote, and Indigenous communities across the country. The fund is $750 million, but the overall commitment from the federal government to rural broadband is a whopping $3.2 billion, which includes other programs and departments.

The new funding is going to the following companies to expand high-speed internet (defined as 50 Mbps download/10 Mbps upload, unlimited data internet):

• Minto Communications Society
• County of Forty Mile No. 8
• Vianet Inc.
• MCSnet
• Missing Link Internet Inc.

“We are taking action to help ensure that Canadians have access to high-quality Internet services. The projects announced today will connect 18 communities across Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario. This will have a significant impact by helping create new opportunities for local businesses and improve access to health care and education services,” said Vicky Eatrides, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, CRTC, in her typical boilerplate statement.

So far, the Broadband Fund has helped over 290 communities, building more than 5,500 km of fibre and improving cell service on 630 km of major roads. Some critics have suggested using satellite internet alternatives (such as SpaceX’s Starlink) would be more cost effective than digging and laying down fibre to remote areas.

More funding announcements are expected in the coming months, and later in 2025 will see the debut of the Indigenous Stream of the Broadband Fund.