December 16, 2021 – Ottawa, Ontario

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how much we rely on the Internet. Canadians across the country need access to reliable, high-speed Internet as many of us are working, learning, and staying in touch with friends and family from home.

Today, the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism, Associate Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for Edmonton Centre, on behalf of the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development, together with Nate Glubish, Minister of Service Alberta and Member of the Legislative Assembly for Strathcona-Sherwood Park, announced an agreement to bring high-speed Internet to underserved rural, remote and Indigenous communities in Alberta.

Under this Canada-Alberta broadband partnership, the Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta have partnered to support projects that will improve access to high-speed Internet in rural, remote and Indigenous communities throughout the province. Through the federal-provincial partnership, both governments will work collaboratively to assess, select and co-fund projects that have been submitted through the Government of Canada’s Universal Broadband Fund. Funding announcements for individual projects will begin in early 2022.

The total combined funding commitment is up to $300 million, with the Government of Canada matching dollar for dollar the $150 million commitment made by Alberta’s government in July 2021.

Canada-wide, more than 890,000 rural and remote households are on track to be connected to high-speed Internet as a result of federal investments. At the end of June 2021, 182,000 rural and remote households had been connected to high-speed Internet under projects supported by the Government of Canada.