Clearwater County’s Broadband Internet Project is a multi-year initiative that aims to deliver high-speed connectivity to a majority of residents and businesses in the county. A vast majority of county residents and businesses are underserved by available connectivity options, most of which fall below the CRTC standards for broadband speeds51.
Clearwater County is building an Open Access Network (OAN), similar to Parkland, but primarily using fibre infrastructure, with some fixed wireless. Using a fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) model, the county will provide points from which ISPs can connect, and then provide last-mile connections to customers. As with Parkland, this model significantly reduces infrastructure costs for ISPs in low population density areas, allowing for broadband internet at a more competitive price.
Proposed services over the OAN could include Voice over IP, internet TV, prepaid tourist internet, and connectivity to support agri-tech services. The project started in 2020 and is expected to be completed in 2025.
Figure 11. Clearwater County Broadband Internet Project. Construction began in 2020. Source: Clearwater County52.
References
51Clearwater County. Clearwater County - Broadband Project. Accessed 29 January 2021.
52Clearwater County. Clearwater County - Broadband Project. Accessed 15 June 2021.