By Chris Brown

Alberta

Province expanding access to rural broadband funding

Sep 20, 2022 | 5:42 PM

The provincial government is launching a new fund to help get all Albertans access to reliable, high-speed internet.

The Alberta Broadband Fund (ABF) will complement the Universal Broadband Fund (UBF) to help the province reach its goal of 100 per cent connectivity by 2026-27 by providing a funding pathway for broadband projects that did not apply to or qualify for the UBF.

The province is allocating $36 million to the ABF, which will begin accepting applications from communities and service providers later this fall. It’s part of Alberta’s Broadband Strategy, a historic $390-million commitment over four years to improve access to high-speed internet in rural, remote and Indigenous communities.

Service Alberta Minister Nate Glubish says he’s heard many communities were unable to apply to the Universal Broadband Fund in time and the ABF will ensure that no community is left behind.

According to the province, about 489,000 Albertans living in 201,000 households lack access to federal target speeds of 50 megabits per second (Mbps) downloads and 10 Mbps uploads.