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WHEREAS the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) deems broadband a “basic” or “essential” service for Canadians; and
WHEREAS broadband service in rural, remote and northern communities is slower, with less capacity (bandwidth) and significantly higher cost than services in urban centres; and
WHEREAS broadband connectivity is vital to ensuring rural residents are not left behind in accessing online services (e.g., online learning, education, employment, and health, financial and government e-services); and
WHEREAS providing these services in rural and remote areas requires innovative strategies and partnerships; and
WHEREAS the Government of Canada (GOC) has a goal to provide access to high-speed internet to all Canadians by 2030; and
WHEREAS the GOC defines highspeed internet as 50 megabits per second (mbps) download and 10 mbps upload speeds; and
WHEREAS there is a role for all levels of government to play in promoting the development of high-speed internet service; and
WHEREAS current federal and provincial funding programs, including the Alberta Broadband Fund, limit municipalities’ application options;
Operative Clause:
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Rural Municipalities of Alberta advocate that the governments of Alberta and Canada accelerate the implementation of broadband infrastructure projects in rural Alberta and improve the quality of the National Broadband Internet Service Availability Map to reflect connectivity speeds actually experienced by rural residents and businesses.
Member Background:
Access to broadband allows Canadians to fully participate in the digital economy and take advantage of quality-of-life services, including telehealth, e-learning and access to government and social services, and for businesses to innovate, expand their markets, and lower operational costs.
Broadband access remains the single largest barrier to digital advancement for rural communities.
The Government of Canada ’s $2.75 billion Universal Broadband Fund (UBF) left many rural municipalities ineligible for funding due to imprecise grant eligibility maps. Additionally, a large portion of the Government of Alberta’s $390 million funding to improve high-speed internet went to “top-up” UBF applications, but relies on identical eligibility criteria, again preventing many rural municipalities from receiving funding.
The Government of Alberta had also earmarked $36 million in Alberta Broadband Fund (ABF) funding, with the intent to “help ensure every rural, remote, and Indigenous household in the province can access high-speed internet.” The ABF has two streams with some other eligibility criteria separate from the UBF; however, rural municipalities continue to face challenges. If changes are made to existing eligibility criteria it could have the potential to expedite the process for improving rural broadband speeds.
By strengthening their programs and relying on accurate speed test data, the Government of Alberta and the Government of Canada can create a more effective strategy for rural broadband deployment. Strengthening their programs would not only accelerate the implementation of broadband infrastructure but ensure that rural Albertans can fully participate in and benefit from the digital economy and society, achieving shared outcomes more rapidly than if each order of government pursued its initiatives independently.
RMA Background:
5-23S: Access to Mobile Wireless (Cellular) Services
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Rural Municipalities of Alberta engage the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to address the lack of reliable cellular network coverage for mobile wireless (cellular) service.
Click here to view the full resolution.
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
Thank you for your November 25, 2024, correspondence to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), regarding The Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) Fall 2024 Resolution, where members endorsed Resolution 13-24F: Review of Broadband Funding Application Processes to advocate that the Government of Canada accelerate the implementation of broadband infrastructure projects in rural Alberta and improve the quality of the National Broadband Internet Service Availability Map.
Access to mobile service is essential and the CRTC is committed to doing its part to meet the universal coverage target of 2026. The CRTC has established the Broadband Fund to help provide all Canadians with access to broadband Internet and mobile wireless services. Throughout its first five years of operation, up to $675 million will be available for projects that help achieve the Universal Service Objective across Canada.
The CRTC relies on coverage estimates from the mobile service providers to create its maps and we have confirmed that they report coverage in the areas you claim do not. There is some doubt as to the accuracy of mobile coverage estimate in some areas and the CRTC is committed to working with the carriers to come up with more accurate coverage estimates, as per the Telecom Policy Direction to the CRTC (paragraph 17.d.ii). We are alerting the carriers of the situation so they can address the coverage in these areas.
You can stay up to date on the latest Broadband Funding announcements by subscribing to our RSS feed or by checking the Broadband Fund website under the Projects selected for funding at the following link: https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/internet/internet.htm as we continue to announce successful Call 3 applications.
Alberta Technology and Innovation
The Government of Alberta recognizes the challenges rural communities experience with accessing high-speed broadband and cellular services. The Alberta Broadband Strategy sets out our commitment to connect every Alberta community to high-speed internet by 2027. This goal is more ambitious than the 2030 timelines for universal access set out in both the federal connectivity strategy and under the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s (CRTC) Universal Service Objective. The Government of Alberta is investing $390 million over five years in Alberta’s Broadband Strategy to support underserved communities. The federal government has matched our $390million commitment dollar for dollar, bringing the total investment to $780 million through the Universal Broadband Fund. To date, the Governments of Alberta and Canada have allocated $371 million through the Universal Broadband Fund to fund 52 projects in 328 communities across Alberta, connecting over 51,000 households. Several of which are either led by, or partnered with, rural municipalities and are now underway across Alberta. Telecommunications is a matter of federal jurisdiction, and the National Broadband Internet Service Availability Map (map) is a federal product. It was developed and is maintained by Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada and is heavily dependent on data the industry reports to the CRTC. Technology and Innovation recognizes that enhanced and more granular data would improve the effectiveness of the map for all interested stakeholders.
Development:
The response from the CRTC does not provide any explanations for the discrepancy between its broadband coverage compared to what is reported by rural municipalities, aside from the fact that they are working with service providers to improve accuracy. However, the response does not acknowledge or seek to correct how eligibility for the Universal Broadband Fund (UBF) relies on inaccurate broadband coverage maps. RMA plans to follow up with the CRTC to better understand how they work with service providers to improve accuracy, including metrics used and timeline or accountability requirements.
The response from Alberta Innovation and Technology highlights the ministry’s past funding commitments to broadband infrastructure and recognizes the eligibility issues with the UBF. RMA assigns this resolution a status of Intent Not Met and will monitor the progress of the actions undertaken by both Alberta Innovation and Technology and the CRTC to support broadband projects and improve broadband coverage and reporting.
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