One of Cybera’s core mandates is to monitor and document the changes in Alberta’s digital infrastructure that is used for research, innovation and the economic benefit of the province. In this State of Alberta Digital Infrastructure Report, Cybera is setting the benchmark for future digital utilization in the province. Within the next ten years, the majority of digital infrastructure solutions will need significant investments. Success will require an organizational shift in the way this infrastructure is planned for, built, operated, used, and maintained. Digital infrastructure needs to be flexible and adaptable to meet the needs of future generations and disruptive technologies.
High-speed connectivity and access to bandwidth remain the largest barriers to digital advancement in the province. Connectivity is key to making computational resources available. The Research and Education (R&E) Network operated by Cybera fills this need for most academic users when they are on site at school or other locations where R&E access exists, but the commercial internet is the backbone for everyone else.
This is a major weakness in Alberta, where problems exist with access and affordability, particularly for those in rural areas. Due to the high cost of digging and laying fibre, and the low rate of return in communities with a low population density, market forces alone cannot bring connectivity to all users. Because of this, regulation and government funding programs are needed to ensure equitable, non-prejudicial access.
Currently, multiple federal government departments — including Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) and the CRTC — have funding initiatives aimed at building networks in rural communities. However, several communities have expressed concerns that these programs are underfunded, and their eligibility requirements are too restrictive to achieve universal connectivity.
Concurrently, new commercial relationships between Internet Service Providers in Alberta have formed, and the potential of new technologies such as Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT) have created new connectivity opportunities. However, observers differ in their assessment of how transformative these technologies will be in achieving universal connectivity.
The following sections will cover the current state of digital infrastructure in Alberta, as well as its ongoing technological, regulatory and commercial development. In addition, we will review a number of municipal broadband initiatives to contextualize the scope of the rural connectivity problem in Alberta. In doing so, these sections will document — with the best available data — which communities in Alberta continue to be underserved, and how best to close these gaps.