There are two federal grants for broadband initiatives available in Canada as of the writing of this report. More about these can be found in the Future Needs and Opportunities section on page xx. Both grants have provisions specifically for First Nations or Indigenous people in Canada.
The Universal Broadband Fund (UBF) is an Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) managed, $1.75 billion fund aimed at improving rural broadband services across the country. Within the categories of eligible projects is a stipulation for mobile projects:
Up to $50 million has been set aside to fund mobile projects that primarily benefit Indigenous peoples. These mobile projects are expected to extend 4G LTE coverage or better mobile services to unserved areas. Projects must target Indigenous communities, roads within or leading to Indigenous communities, or highways and roads where the deployment of mobile network coverage would benefit Indigenous peoples. Unserved sections of roads that would be deemed strategic for the socio-economic development or public safety of Indigenous peoples could also be eligible114.
The first intake for applications to the fund ended on March 15, 2021, however, ISED has stated that additional intake processes may be announced in the future115.
Another federal fund managed by Infrastructure Canada is the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. This $33 billion program is designed to stimulate Canada’s economy through new infrastructure projects. There are four streams, including Rural and Northern Communities Infrastructure. One sub-category within this stream is “Improve Broadband Connectivity116.”
In an agreement with the province of Alberta117, the federal government has committed to providing $159 million toward the Rural and Northern Communities Infrastructure stream between 2018-2028. The agreement states that this stream “Will support projects that improve the quality of life in rural and northern communities by responding to rural- and northern-specific needs.” Some of this funding may be eligible for broadband projects that support Indigenous people.
References
114ISED. Universal Broadband Fund - Get connected (ic.gc.ca). 05 Mar 2021. Accessed 11 March 2021.
115ISED. Universal Broadband Fund: For applicants - Get connected. 10 Feb 2021. Accessed 11 March 2021.
116Infrastructure Canada. Infrastructure Canada - Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. 22 Dec 2020. Accessed 11 March 2021.
117Infrastructure Canada. Infrastructure Canada - Integrated Bilateral Agreement Canada - Alberta. 20 June 2018. Accessed 20 Jan 2021.