The medium is the message. This is merely to say that the personal and social consequences of any medium - that is, of any extension of ourselves - result from the new scale that is introduced into our affairs by each extension of ourselves, or by any new technology.

Marshall McLuhan

What is the Alberta Broadband Fund program?

The Alberta Broadband Fund (ABF) is a $36-million program established from the $390 million the Government of Alberta allocated earlier this year to broadband funding initiatives.

This program is available to fund infrastructure costs for projects in communities which were unable to apply on or did not qualify for the federal Universal Broadband Fund (UBF) or CRTC programs.

Complementary to the federal UBF, ABF will provide opportunity with ABF funding able to address challenges specific to the province, like dispersed isolated households.

See the Alberta Broadband Strategy for more information.

What is considered high-speed Internet?

The goal is for all Albertans to have access to high-speed Internet of at least 50 Megabits per second download (Mbps) and 10 Mbps upload speeds (50/10 Mbps service).

How many communities and households will be funded through the Alberta Broadband Fund (ABF)?

The ABF will provide up to $36 million to help bring underserved communities up to federal speed targets of 50/10 Mbps service. The number of communities that will receive assistance will depend on a number of factors, such as the volume of requests, proposal cost, benefits and quality, and more. Total funding will not exceed $36 million.

What is considered a household?

Household is generally defined as being composed of a person or group of persons who co-reside in, or occupy, a dwelling. For the program both collective and private households are considered.

Which areas are currently underserved?

There remains significant rural and remote areas of Alberta that do not have access to high-speed Internet. According to the federal High-Speed Internet Access Dashboard in Alberta there is 10% of the total population in rural areas without access to broadband services, compared to nearly 90% access in urban households.

Is $36 million enough to close the connectivity gap?

Based on analysis in developing the Alberta Broadband Strategy, the connectivity in Alberta is a $1-billion problem. The province has secured a total of $780 million in public funding that we anticipate will unlock significant additional private sector investment.

The ABF is a small piece of this puzzle that gives communities and service providers that may not have applied for federal funding another pathway to access public funding support. It is not intended to be a primary funding source.

Who can apply and what projects were eligible?

The ABF allows almost any Canadian entity to submit an application for the first stream of applications; however, individuals and federal entities are excluded from applying. Eligible applicants are required to have the ability to design, build and run broadband infrastructure, and need to identify who would build, own and operate the broadband network.

For its second stream, the ABF program is developing an intake for individual remote households to participate.

What will funding be used for?

Funding from the ABF will be used towards projects that may include fibre-to-the-home, fixed wireless, and low-earth orbit satellite technologies. This is similar to how UBF funding will be allocated.

How are projects being selected?

Projects are being selected using a three-stage assessment process that will ensure applications from a wide variety of applicants across Alberta can be considered. Ultimately, the projects that best meet the objectives of the program will be selected.

Stage one involves meeting basic eligibility requirements. Stage two evaluates essential criteria such as managerial capacity, technical feasibility and sustainability. ,Stage three involves comparing projects in the same geographical area against each other, focusing on relative technical and financial merits, as well as community benefits, such as commitment to local employment.

Are mobile projects eligible?

Under the ABF, there is no specific accommodation for mobile. If a project uses mobile technology to provide broadband to underserved households, it would be assessed by the same criteria as other projects.

Are other provinces setting up funds like the ABF?

We are not aware of another province establishing a fund similar to our ABF.

One of the challenges for Alberta is the dispersed nature of remote communities that need cost-effective broadband access. Because this is unique to Alberta, we chose to develop the ABF to supplement our Alberta Broadband Strategy to ensure every household can access high-speed internet.

ALBERTA BROADBAND STRATEGY DETAILS

See the Alberta Broadband Strategy for more information.

How will it be determined which community receives which technology?
A mix of fibre-to-the-home, fixed wireless access, and LEO satellite technologies are required to meet the needs of connecting all underserved Albertans in rural, remote, and Indigenous communities. Our work with a global consultation group revealed that technology mix is our best option based on population density, topography challenges, and distance from other infrastructure. Fibre is cost prohibitive for many rural communities, costing up to tens of thousands to connect a single home. Taking a mixed approach to technology will help public funding stretch further to connect more homes and strengthen access for more businesses.

The ABF will use a similar model to the UBF: applicants will be required to provide details on their proposed technological solutions. It is one of the many factors we are considering during application review. During application assessment, Alberta’s government will review, among other details, feasibility and effectiveness of proposed solutions.

Is broadband an essential service? If not, why?

In December 2016, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), Canada’s telecommunications regulator, declared broadband internet access a basic service across the country, just like landline telephone services have been traditionally.

As telecommunications in Canada is a matter of federal jurisdiction, the Government of Alberta does not have the ability to declare internet access an essential service, and would not be able to enforce any such declaration.

The program is committed to ensuring all Albertans have access to minimum speeds set out by the CRTC. This is a priority for Alberta’s government and crucial for Alberta’s recovery. The investment announced today is a major step toward achieving that goal.

How do Alberta’s connectivity rates compare with other parts of the country?

The data analyzed during development of the Alberta Broadband Strategy estimates that 80 of Indigenous communities and 67% of rural areas cannot access federal target speeds. This lags behind Canada-wide rates of 65.2 per cent and 54.4 per cent, respectively. This leaves approximately 489,000 Albertans in 201,000 households without access to target speeds.

The federal High-Speed Internet Access Dashboard shows all provinces and territories.

The program will be working with each successful funding applicant to capture commitments for 50/10 Mbps target speeds (or beyond, and any additional commitments made as part of the application process through a government contribution agreement. Successful applicants will report on progress and implementation throughout their granting period as a prerequisite to receiving government dollars.

Affordability falls under federal jurisdiction, so Alberta cannot direct pricing or services for any provider. Affordability is, however, one of the many criteria considered during UBF application assessment and will be considered when ABF requests are assessed. This approach ensures that public funding supports projects that commit to building high quality, affordable services for Albertans, all while considering rural distances and technology challenges.

Alberta Broadband Fund Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)