Some Foothills residents could be better connected by fall 2021.
On March 16, the Government of Canada announced more than $5.4 million in funding for projects aimed at bringing high-speed Internet to rural residents in Alberta as well as an additional $3.7-million contribution from TELUS.
The federal money is part of the $1.75-billion Universal Broadband Fund first launched in November 2020, and the Alberta-based projects had been applied for within its first two months. Among them were TELUS applications for high-speed access in Blackie, Bragg Creek and Stavely.
Foothills MP John Barlow said it’s a good start to bringing more Internet access to his riding.
“This is something that has been a priority for this riding since I was first elected (in 2015),” said Barlow. “Whether you’re in Blackie or Bragg Creek, you’re not far from the City of Calgary so I think a lot of people would just assume you would have access to high-speed Internet and that’s just simply not the case.”
He said the service in Blackie will be enhanced for about 145 homes and business, and about 150 in Bragg Creek, bringing speeds to at least 50 megabits per second download and 10 Mbps upload.
The TELUS projects in both communities are an expansion of their existing copper networks, not fibre optics, he said.
“But it’s still a positive to get them up to that 50/10, what we term as ‘high-speed threshold,’” said Barlow.
These projects were approved because they were able to meet that threshold, he said, whereas other areas in the riding did not qualify for the Canadian Broadband Fund because expanding their networks would not have achieved the same high-speed levels.
Internet access has been a prevalent issue in the Foothills for some time, and he said COVID-19 further revealed the need for high-speed connections.
With people working from home, and students of all ages – including post-secondary in many cases – learning from home, the value of strong broadband became clear.
“There has been a lot of stress and pressure on Internet access and in many cases these communities couldn’t handle it,” said Barlow. “We’ve always been pushing for the fact that high-speed Internet access has to be treated like an essential utility.
“This isn’t a want anymore; this is a need. This is something we must have.”
It could impact investment in rural areas as well, he said.
Before locating in any rural region, one of the first questions asked by home-based, small, or large business owners is about the quality of Internet service, he said.
“If these communities cannot offer high-speed broadband access, those businesses are going to move elsewhere or that potential homeowner is going to look elsewhere,” said Barlow. “You need to be able to offer the amenities that people and businesses are looking for.”
He said the wait is on now for the spectrum auction, which permits telecommunications providers to bid for transmission licences. It could result in better access for more remote rural areas across the country.
“That has continued to be delayed and delayed and delayed,” said Barlow. “There aren’t a whole lot of other options in this area until we get that spectrum auction complete and hopefully that is going to be imminent to get that done.”
