Faster internet speeds coming to rural communities

Photo of Chief Ouray Crowfoot speaking about the importance of having reliable stable internet connection at Blackfoot Crossing Historic Site

High speed web surfing is coming to rural communities across the province of Alberta with a new program from the Federal Government.

The Alberta Broadband strategy will see the provincial government invest approximately 112million dollars into improving internet quality.

This strategy stems from the Universal Broadband Fund program where the Federal Government will be providing three point two billion dollars to rural communities across the country.

Along with rural communities being supported, Indigenous communities will also be seeing vast improvement to quality of interview including Buffalo Lake Metis Settlement, communities in the Wabasca area and areas inside and around the Nation of Siksika.

Chief Ouray Crowfoot of Siksika shared how having access to high quality internet will improve community connection in Siksika.

Because of the COVID-19 Pandemic it showed how vital the use of internet has become in today’s world.

Federal Minister of Rural Economic and Development Gudie Hutchings emphasized the important of internet in today’s connected world.

There are currently 17 on going projects in the province of Alberta to help connect every community together without terrible lag and upon completion, approximately 33,000 thousand household will have access to an improved quality of internet by 2027.