Xplore set to expand 5G Ultra internet across rural Alberta with $180M

The federal and Alberta governments are putting new money toward expanding high-speed internet in rural parts of the province, with Xplore set to upgrade service for more than 70,000 underserved households.

Xplore said it will receive $60 million in combined provincial and federal funding to help bring download speeds of up to 500 Mbps to communities across Alberta, including more than 1,100 Indigenous households. The funding comes from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and Alberta’s Ministry of Technology and Innovation.

The official announce from Xplore on Tuesday comes after the federal government made the initial announcement last Friday.

On top of the government funding, Xplore says it will invest more than $120 million of its own money to expand its fixed wireless service, branded as 5G Ultra. The company plans to use more than 400 internet towers to eventually reach about 245,000 households across the province.

“This investment is about more than faster, more reliable Internet — it’s about strengthening the future of rural Alberta,” said Brent Johnston, Xplore’s chief executive officer. “With the support of our federal and provincial partners, we’re proud to bring our 5G Ultra Fixed Wireless Internet to tens of thousands of homes and businesses.”

Xplore is controlled by Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners, a U.S.-based infrastructure investment firm that took over the company when it was still operating under the name Xplornet Communications.

The announcement follows earlier Xplore projects aimed at improving rural connectivity. Last year, the company expanded fibre internet to more than 8,800 rural Alberta households and launched a fibre project in Newfoundland targeting 24,000 homes. Xplore has also rolled out fibre and wireless upgrades in several other provinces, including Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia.