Globally, the demand for bandwidth is increasing exponentially. Alberta is also seeing an increased demand for bandwidth, as more education and work activities are carried out online, and as high-bandwidth mobile platforms become more ubiquitous.
Currently, Alberta has two high-speed public fibre networks: the research and education network, CyberaNet, and the province-wide fibre optic network, the Alberta SuperNet. Both are available to a select portion of the population. Commercially, services are provided by the big three telecommunications providers — TELUS, Bell and Rogers — in addition to a number of regional competitors, most notably the Calgary-based Shaw Communications (although on March 15, 2021, Rogers announced a plan to acquire Shaw in a $26B merger, a deal which would eliminate Shaw as a regional competitor. As of the publication of this report, the deal is pending regulatory approval).
The reach, bandwidth, and prices these providers offer can vary, and rural areas continue to struggle to obtain internet connections at a cost and speed comparable to the province’s urban areas.