$23.4 Million Grant Boosts Rural Broadband Access

Thanks to a significant $23.4 million investment made possible by Canada’s Universal Broadband Fund, high-speed fiber internet is finally on its way to a number of Lakeland communities in northeastern Alberta. The goal of the investment is to provide dependable broadband internet to rural residences, properties near lakes, and Indigenous communities that have long suffered from sluggish or inconsistent connections.

MCSnet to Connect 3,401 Homes with Fibre-to-the-Home

St. Paul-based MCSnet has secured $23.4 million to bring fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) service to 3,401 homes by March 2027. Construction will take place across the M.D. of Bonnyville, County of St. Paul, and Lac La Biche County, including hard-to-reach lake communities such as Pelican Narrows, Vincent Lake, Moose Lake (east), and Sunset Bay.

Compared to fixed wireless internet, fiber-to-the-home technology offers faster speeds, reduced latency, and more reliable connections by transmitting data as light through glass or plastic cables. In the past, a lot of lake properties relied on wireless coverage, which might be interfered with by trees, rough terrain, and inclement weather.
More than 36,000 homes and businesses in northeastern Alberta now have better internet connection because to MCSnet’s $27 million in capital investment and more than $34 million in grant financing to far.

Supporting Indigenous and Rural Connectivity

The federal government also approved $24.5 million for Arrow Technology Group, a First Nations-led company, to connect 1,059 households in Whitefish Lake #459, Kikino Métis Settlement, Sandy Lake, and Calling Lake by the end of 2026.

Under the Alberta Broadband Strategy, about 67% of rural residents and over 80% of Indigenous communities lack access to reliable internet at the federal target speed of 50 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload. Alberta’s Minister of Technology and Innovation, Nate Glubish, stated that the province has now reached over 95% of its universal connectivity goal.

Additional investments include $5.1 million to Xplore Inc. and $1.79 million to Switch Inc. for fixed wireless expansion across multiple Lakeland communities.

With combined provincial, federal, and private funding exceeding $370 million, Alberta’s rural broadband expansion marks a significant step toward closing the digital divide and ensuring fast, reliable internet for all.