$22 Million will be allocated to bringing high-speed internet to remote communities in northern and southern Alberta.
The funding is coming from a federal program aiming to upgrade internet speeds to underserved communities. The Connect to Innovate program will be investing $500 million by 2021 in rural and remote communities across Canada, with a main focus on supporting new infrastructure projects. This will allow underserved schools, libraries, and businesses to fully engage in Canada’s digital economy.
The investment will benefit five Indigenous communities as well that are particularly challenged by geography in small and remote populations.
On the programs webpage, it states the upgrades are the modern equivalent of building roads or railways in rural and remote areas, allowing them to connect to the global economy.
