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ProvidingHigh-SpeedInternetServiceInRuralandRemoteMétisCommunitiesAbackgroundpaperproducedfor

TheMétisNationalCouncilOctober2019

TechnologiesBringingHigh-SpeedInternettoRuralAreas

PaulHanleyConsultingSaskatoon

HighSpeedInternetforMétisCommunities 1


CONTENTS

1.0 INTRODUCTION 3

2.0 RURALBROADBANDDEPLOYMENT:UNDERSTANDINGTHETECHNOLOGY43.0 WHYRURALANDREMOTECOMMUNITIESNEEDHIGH-SPEEDINTERNET 14

3.1 BROADBANDANDSOCIAL-ECONOMICDEVELOPMENT 143.2 BROADBAND:BUSINESSNEEDSANDTRENDS 17

4.0 GLOBALANDINDIGENOUSPERSPECTIVESONBROADBANDACCESS 20

4.1 AGLOBALISSUE–OECDPERSPECTIVESONRURALCONNECTIVITY 204.2 CONECTIVITY–ANINDIGENOUSISSUE 27

5.0 PROVIDINGHIGHSPEEDINTERNETSERVICETORURAL,REMOTE,AND34INDIGENOUSCOMMUNITIES

5.1 FEDERALANDPROVINCIALPLANSTOEXTENDHIGH-SPEEDINTERNETSERVICE345.2 BROADBANDINRURALAREA:SOMEBESTPRACTICES 41

6.0 CREATINGAHIGH-SPEEDINTERNETACCESSPLANFORRURALAND46REMOTEMÉTISCOMMUNITIES

6.1 THESTATUSOFRURALMÉTISCOMMUNITES 466.2 MAPPINGSERVICENEEDSINMÉTISCOMMUNITIES 50

7.0 RECOMMENDATION–PILOTPROJECTPROPOSAL 57

SOURCES 59GLOSSARY 60


1.0 INTRODUCTIONProvidingaccesstohigh-speedInternetserviceiswidelyconsideredanimportantelementofsocialandeconomicdevelopmentstrategies.Internetserviceisimportantinfieldsrangingfromeducationtohealthcaretogovernancetobusiness.Today,manyifnotmostbusinessesbenefitfromhavingInternetaccessforresearch,marketing,sales,andotherelementsofconnectivity,withinalocalityandregion,butalsoglobally.Thismaybeparticularlytrueforruralandremotecommunities,wherehigh-speedInternetalsoprovidestheconnectivitythathelpsovercometheisolationthatcanmakeruralcommunitiesunattractive,especiallyforyoungerpeople.Connectivityisakeytoretainingeducatedyoungpeopleandattractingandretainingentrepreneurs,professionals,andotherworkers.Manyruralcommunitiestodaybenefitfromthepresenceofremoteworkers,whotypicallyrequirehigh-speed,reliableInternetservice.RuralCanadianshaveidentifiedunreliableandslowInternetconnectivityastheirnumberonechallenge.Asaresult,childrenaredoingtheirhomeworkatlocalcoffeeshopssotheycouldaccessWi-Fi;businessesrelyoncashorchequesbecausetheycan’trelyonInteracmachines;andpeopleavoidusingtheInternetatpeaktimes,becauseitistooslow.RuralCanadianssaythatifacommunityhaspoorconnectivity,itisdifficulttoretainyouth,attracttalent,growbusinesses,trainworkers,andadoptnewtechnologies.Thereisanoverwhelmingconsensusthathigh-speed/broadbandaccessisessentialtosuccess,andthatitshouldbeavailableregardlessofwheresomeonelives.Indigenouspeoples,suchasCanada’sMétispopulation,aredisproportionatelyrepresentedinruralandremoteareas.Lackofaccesstohigh-speedInternetintheircommunitiescanreducetheprovisionofsocialsservices,inareaslikeeducationandhealthcare,andalsoretardthedevelopmentofMétis-ownedbusinesses.Métiseconomicdevelopmentstrategieshaveidentifiedtheneedtoimproveinfrastructure,includingbroadbandInternetservices,inMétiscommunities.Currently,thefederalgovernment,andsomeprovincialgovernmentsintheMétishomelandareinvestinginInternetserviceprovisioninruralandremoteareas.Thisdocumentexaminestheseprograms,identifiesbestpracticesinInternetserviceprovisionsforIndigenouscommunities,andrecommendsanapproachtoextendservicestoMétiscommunities.Federally-fundedprojectshavetargetedFirstNations,withnospecificefforttotargetMétiscommunities.ThisreportrecommendsaneffortbemountedtoidentifyunderservedMétiscommunitiesandspecificallytargetthemforbroadbandservices.Itrecommendsthatapilotprojectbeestablished,usingMétisserviceproviders.


2.0 RURALBROADBANDDEPLOYMENT:UNDERSTANDINGTHETECHNOLOGY

Thereisawidespreadconsensusthataccesstohigh-speed/broadbandInternetisanimportantelementinadvancingsocialandeconomicdevelopment.Currently,broadbandisoftenunavailableinruralareas,includingmanyMétiscommunities.Thiscanberemedied.Followingisadescriptionoftechnologiesbeingdeployedtoimproveruralaccesstohigh-speedInternet.WhatIsBroadband?InthecontextofInternetaccess,thetermbroadband,inlayterms,hascometomean“alwayson,fastInternetaccess.”Customersperceivebroadbandas“high-speed”networkaccess.Morespecifically,broadbandisatermusedinterchangeablytodefinebothbroadbandnetworksandbroadbandInternet.Ingeneral,broadbandreferstotelecommunicationinwhichawidebandoffrequenciesisavailabletotransmitinformation.Withawidebandoffrequencies,informationcanbemultiplexedandsentonmanydifferentfrequenciesorchannelswithinthebandconcurrently,allowingmoreinformationtobetransmittedinagivenamountoftime(muchlikehavingmorelanesonahighwayallowsformorecarstotravelonitatthesametime).ForbroadbandInternetcustomers,twoelementscontributetowhattheyperceiveasthespeedofanetwork:

1. Bandwidth.Bandwidthisthecapacityofthenetworkconnection.Typically,highernetworkbandwidthtranslatestoimprovedperformance,althoughoverallperformancealsodependsonotherfactors.Higherbandwidthmeansfasterperceivedspeed.

2. Latency.Latencyreferstovariousdelaysincurredinmovingdataacrossanetwork.Excessivelatencycreatesbottlenecksthatpreventdatafromfillingthenetworkpipe.Whenthisoccurstheeffectivebandwidthdecreases.Thisresultsinslowerspeed.

Thesetwotermsareimportantwhenbroadbandtechnologiesareconsidered.Sometechnologyalternativeshavegreaterbandwidthavailabilityandcanprovidegreaterspeed.Othertechnologyalternativeshaveinherentlatencyissuesandmaynotmeetcustomerneeds.


RuralBroadbandDeploymentTheGovernmentofCanadahascommittedtoensuringthat95%ofCanadianshaveaccesstoInternetspeedscorrespondingtoCRTCtargetsby2026andthat100%ofCanadianshaveaccesstothemby2030.Thetargetisspeedsof50megabitspersecond(Mbps)download/10MbpsuploadforfixedbroadbandInternetaccessservices(oftenexpressednumericallyas50/10Mbps).Thefollowingtableshowsthecapabilitiesofvariousdownloadspeeds,whichindicateswhyhigherspeeds,suchas50Mbps,areneeded.CapabilitiesofVariousDownloadSpeeds

DownloadInternetSpeeds

Benefits

1Mbps Insufficientspeedtomeaningfullyparticipateonline.Allowsforbasicbrowsingandemailservices.5Mbps Sufficienttoconductnormalinternetactivities,suchasaccessinggovernmentservices,social

media,andbasicstreamingvideos.50Mbps SpeedidentifiedbytheCRTCforCanadianstotakeadvantageofcloud-basedsoftwareapplications,

multiplegovernmentservices(e.g.tele-healthservices,businesssupport),onlinelearningresources,andhighdefinitionstreamingvideos.

Asindicatedinthetwographsbelow,whichshowInternetaccessinCanadain2016and2017,householdsinruralareasandsmallpopulationcentreshavelimitedaccesstomedium-andhigh-speedInternet,comparedtourbanareas.While96%ofurbanCanadianshadaccesstobroadbandInternetspeedsof50megabitspersecond(Mbps)fordownloadingdataand10Mbpsforuploadingdata(50/10Mbps),lessthan40%ofthoseinruralandremoteareasenjoyedthisservice

BroadbandServiceAvailability–Urbanvs.Rural(%ofhouseholds)2016

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Figure 1 – Broadband service availability – Urban vs. rural (% of households), 2016

Notes: The HSPA+ (high-speed packet access or 3G) and LTE bars show the additional effect that inclusion of these technologies would have on the following categories: HSPA+ and LTE for 1.5 to 4.9 Mbps availability, and LTE for 5 to 9.9 Mbps availability. Satellite services are excluded since they have a national footprint.

Source: CRTC, “Figure 5.3.17 Broadband service availability – Urban vs. rural (% of households), 2016”, Telecommunications and Monitoring Report 2017, 2017.


Overall,speedsof50/10Mbpsareavailableto84%ofCanadianhouseholds,andtheGovernmentofCanadahascommittedtobringthesespeedsto90%ofCanadiansin2021,95%in2026and100%by2030.Furthermore,StatisticsCanadareportsthatonlyabout24%ofhouseholdsinIndigenouscommunitieshaveaccessto50/10MbpsInternet.Demonstratingthescaleoftheinfrastructurechallenge,themapbelowshows5Mbpsdownloadand1Mbpsuploadserviceareas,inrelationtoexisting50/10Mbpscoverage.Canada’spopulationisheavilyconcentratedinurbanareas,whichmostlyhave50/10coverage.

In October 2018, federal, provincial, and territorial ministers of innovation and economic development resolved to make broadband a national priority. Calling for a long-term connectivity strategy, they established a number of connectivity principles designed to recognize the realities of today, while also looking toward the future. These principles inform the development of High-Speed Access for All: Canada’s Connectivity Strategy.

How serious is the connectivity gap?

It’s significant. The problem is speed, which is often too slow for rural and remote Canadians to be able to take advantage of even a fraction of what the Internet has to offer. As recently as five years ago, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and governments across Canada were targeting universal broadband coverage at download speeds of 5 megabits per second (Mbps), and upload speeds of 1 Mbps. At the time, this was seen as sufficient for most consumer and business applications.

Today, we’ve largely achieved those goals. The overwhelming majority of Canadians can access broadband at speeds of at least 5 Mbps/1 Mbps. But the landscape has shifted.

These speeds are now too slow for cloud-based software applications. Or online learning resources. Or high-definition streaming videos. They’re often too slow to support multiple users or to use telehealth services properly. They are clearly too slow when an x-ray cannot be uploaded in a Northern community unless other Internet users are temporarily kicked off the Internet.

To take full advantage of the opportunities offered by the modern Internet, 50/10 speeds are necessary, affording the capacity to download at 50 Mbps and to upload at 10 Mbps.

At these speeds, there is a clear divide between rural and urban Canada. In 2017, only 37% of rural households had access to 50/10 Mbps, compared with 97% of urban homes. Only about 24% of households in Indigenous communities have access to 50/10 Mbps. Overall, speeds of 50/10 Mbps are available to 84% of Canadian households, and the Government of Canada has committed to bring these speeds to 90% of Canadians in 2021, 95% in 2026 and 100% by 2030.1

1 CRTC Communications Monitoring Report 2018 https://crtc.gc.ca/pubs/cmr2018-en.pdf

Fixed Broadband availability, by speed in Mbps, 2017 (not including mobile or satellite)

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There are also significant gaps in mobile connectivity. While approximately 99% of Canadians have some access to mobile service where they live, the coverage can be spotty. Overall, however, there is still improvement needed (both where Canadians live and work) and in addressing substantial gaps along highways and major roads linking communities. Long stretches of road without a mobile cellular signal pose a safety risk to drivers in Canada. Mobile wireless coverage must be available to Canadians both at home and on the go.

Demonstrating the scale of the infrastructure challenge, the map below shows 5 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload, in relation to existing 50/10 Mbps coverage. Canada’s population is heavily concentrated in urban areas, which mostly have 50/10 coverage.

The Government of Canada launched the $305 million Connecting Canadians program in 2014, which is approaching completion in delivering improved connectivity for 300,000 underserved households.

The Connect to Innovate program was launched in December 2016 to expand high-speed Internet in communities underserved by the private sector across Canada. The $500 million initiative focused on building out high-capacity infrastructure that would handle rapidly growing demand for high speeds and data usage. This infrastructure will also support enhanced mobile wireless connectivity.

National Internet Service AvailableBroadband 5/1 Mbps Available

Broadband 50/10 Mbps Available

Satellite Dependant Communities

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ThefollowingtablebreaksdownInternetservicesbyjurisdiction,showingthathigh-speedaccessisparticularlylowinsomeprovinces,suchasSaskatchewanandManitoba.CurrentBroadbandAvailabilityinCanada,bySpeedandProvince/Territory,2017(%ofhouseholds)

Whilemosturbanregionsofthecountryalreadyhaveaccesstobroadbandthatmeetshigh-speedtargets,itwilltaketimeandsubstantialinvestmentsforallruralhouseholdsandbusinessestohaveaccesstothe50/10Mbpsspeeds.

TechnicalOptionsforRuralServiceProvision

Anumberofbroadbandtechnologiesareavailable.Eachhasadvantagesanddisadvantageswhenconsideredforruralbroadbandservicedelivery.Thefollowingtechnologiesareexamplesofsolutionsforprovidinghigh-speedInternetaccesstosparselypopulatedregions:Ø DSL/CableModem–DSLandcablemodemsareoneoftheoriginaltechnologiesused

toprovidehigh-speedInternetaccess.Theyhadtheirstartinthe1990sandhavesinceevolvedintoaverystableandcapableplatform.DSL/Cablemodemusesexistingcopper

RURAL BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT

LIBRARY OF PARLIAMENT 2 PUBLICATION NO. 2011-57-E

Figure 1 – Broadband Availability: Urban Versus Rural Areas, 2017

Source: Figure prepared by the authors using data obtained from Canadian Radio-television and

Telecommunications Commission, Communications Monitoring Report 2018, 2019.

Table 1 – Broadband Availability, by Speed and Province/Territory, 2017 (% of households)

Province/Territory 5+ Mbps 10+ Mbps 16+ Mbps 25+ Mbps 50+ Mbps

50/10 Mbps and unlimited

data transfera

British Columbia 97.6 96.7 94.5 94.3 92.8 91.0 Alberta 99.2 98.1 95.9 94.4 82.8 80.3 Saskatchewan 94.6 87.1 77.1 75.3 53.5 45.4 Manitoba 98.0 96.1 94.9 94.6 70.9 69.8 Ontario 98.3 96.4 94.5 93.5 87.4 86.9 Quebec 98.1 96.2 93.3 92.5 88.9 88.5 New Brunswick 94.3 91.9 91.9 91.9 81.2 81.2 Nova Scotia 87.4 83.4 79.1 79.1 78.7 77.8 Prince Edward Island 93.4 87.7 87.7 87.7 59.8 59.8 Newfoundland and Labrador 89.0 80.8 80.7 78.1 70.9 70.9

Yukon 90.5 84.2 60.8 60.8 60.8 0 Northwest Territories 97.7 93.6 53.7 53.7 53.7 0 Nunavut 29.9 0 0 0 0 0 Canada 97.5 95.4 92.8 92.0 85.4 84.1

Note: a. This column presents access to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) target by province and territory.

Source: Table prepared by the authors using data obtained from CRTC, Communications Monitoring Report 2018, 2019.

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telephoneorcablecoaxwiringdeployedtomosthomes.Deploymentofnetworkterminalsinlocalneighborhoodsenablesbroadbandspeeds.Theterminalsshortenthedistancefromthesubscribertothecentraloffice,enablinghigher-speeddeliveryovercopperwires.TheneighborhoodterminalsaretypicallyconnectedbyT1,T3orfibre-basedconnections,whichareconnectedbacktotheprovider’smainmethodofdeliveringbroadband.Achievablebandwidthistypicallylimitedbythedistancethehomeisfromtheneighborhoodterminal.

Ø Fibre–Fibresolutionsareamethodoftransmittinginformationfromoneplacetoanotherbysendingpulsesoflightthroughanopticalfibre.Thinglasspipesknownasfibreopticcablescarrysignalstransmittedusingwavesoflight.FibretechnologyisgenerallyregardedasthesuccessortoDSLbroadbandsolutionsthatphonecarriersprovide.Fibretothecabinet(FTTC)andfibretothehome(FTTH)aretwomainmethodsoffibrebroadbanddeployment.Currentfibreservicesonthemarketofferspeedsrangingfrom100/50Mbpsto950/100Mbps.Fibreisconsideredthegoldstandardinbroadbandtechnologytothehomebecauseofitscapabilitytotransmitdataathighspeedsoverlongdistances.

Ø Mobile–MobilebroadbandisthetermforwirelessInternetaccessthroughaportable

modem,mobilephone,USBwirelessmodem,tablet,orothermobiledevices.Deliveryofthistypeofbroadbandisenabledbythemobile(cellular)phonenetwork.Variousjurisdictionstypicallyhaveamixof3Gand4Gnetworks.The“G”isshortforgeneration,so3Gand4GrepresentthethirdandfourthgenerationsofmobilebroadbandInternet.Performancespeedvariesbyoperator:4Gnetworksaveragedownloadspeedsof18/9Mbps,while3Gnetworksaverage3.5/1Mbps.

Province of Nova Scotia- Department of Business Options for Rural Broadband Connectivity

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ranging from 100/50 Mbps to 950/100 Mbps. It should be noted that FibreOP is a marketing brand used by BellAliant for their fibre to the home solution. It is not an industry term.

Fibre is considered the gold standard in broadband technology to the home because of its capability to transmit data at high speeds over long distances.

Pros Cons ► Bandwidth capacity/speed. ► Long lifespan. ► Service reliability. ► Size and weight of the cable. ► Ability to access more services (TV,

Phone, Internet, more).

► Cost per home. ► Physical constraints (glass wire).

DSL/Cable Modem DSL and Cable Modems are one of the original technologies used to provide high-speed Internet access. They had their start in the 1990s and has since evolved into a very stable and capable platform. DSL/Cable modem uses existing copper telephone or cable coax wiring deployed to most homes. Deployment of network terminals in local neighborhoods enables broadband speeds. The terminals shorten the distance from the subscriber to the central office, enabling higher speed delivery over copper wires. The neighborhood terminals are typically connected by T1, T3 or Fibre based connections, which are connected back to the provider’s main method of delivering broadband. Achievable bandwidth is typically limited by the distance the home is from the neighborhood terminal.

Pros Cons ► Availability. ► Cost per home. ► Service reliability.

► Performance (distance-based issues). ► Speed (Current available services in

Nova Scotia advertise speeds up to 7 Mbps downstream).

Mobile Mobile broadband is the term for wireless Internet access through a portable modem, mobile phone, USB wireless modem, tablet or other mobile devices. Delivery of this type of broadband is enabled by the mobile (cellular) phone network. Nova Scotia currently has a mix of 3G and 4G networks. The “G” is short for generation, so 3G and 4G represent the third and fourth generations of mobile broadband Internet. Performance speed varies by operator, 4G networks average download speeds of 18/9 Mbps, while 3G networks average 3.5/1 Mbps2.

Pros Cons ► Mobility. ► Service reliability.

► Package pricing is high for primary internet use.

2 Open Signal, www.opensignal.com


Ø FixedWireless–Fixedwirelesssystemsusedigitalradiotransmittersplacedonany

elevatedlocation(e.g.rooftoportower)andachievepoint-to-pointsignaltransmissionviaamicrowaveplatformoverawidearea.In2017,26%ofruralhouseholdsreliedsolelyonthistechnologyforbroadbandaccess.

DevelopmentsinfixedwirelessaccessareconcentratedonWiMax(WorldwideInteroperabilityforMicrowaveAccess)technology.WiMaxtechnologyiscurrentlytechnicallycapableofspeedsupto75Mbps,butinpracticethespeedperformancevariesbasedonthewaythenetworkisengineered,andtheequipmentutilized.Commerciallyavailableservicesbasedonthistechnologymayonlyprovidespeedsof1.5/.5Mbps.Latencyandoversubscriptionarethemostcommonissuesaffectingthespeedoffixedwirelesssolutions.

Usingapowerfulbasestation,WiMAXcanprovidewirelessbroadbandaccessforupto50kmforfixedstationsand5to15kmformobilestations.WiMAXmaybeusefulinunderservedareasthatarejustbeyondtraditionalurbanlimits.

ToofferwirelessInternettechnologies(includingWiMAXandfixedwireless),Internetserviceproviders(ISPs)musthaveaccesstoqualityspectra,whichcansometimesbedifficult.InCanada,ISED(Innovation,Science,andEconomicDevelopmentCanada)managestheuseofthevariousspectrumfrequencybandsanddistributesthemthroughauctions.Somestakeholders,particularlyinruralareas,havesaidthatvariousissues,includingthesizeandcostofspectrumlicenses,hindertheaccesstothespectrumthatwouldallowthemtodeliverInternetintheirregions.TheysaythatthissituationfavoursISPsthatwishtoserveprimarilymajorurbancentres.

Inaddition,arecentissueinruralspectrummanagementisthepotentialreallocationofthe3500MHzband.Currently,thisbandisoftenusedforfixedwirelessservices,particularlyinruralareas,butitisnowcovetedforfifthgeneration(commonlyreferredtoas“5G”)deployment.ISEDisconsultingstakeholdersonthissubjectandannouncedinJune2019thatitwillholdpublicconsultationsontheauctionoperationsforthe3500MHzbandspectrum.Atthesametime,ISEDannouncedadecisionpaperoutliningchangestothe3500MHzbandleadinguptoanauctionin2020.


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► Limited to areas with cellular network coverage.

Fixed Wireless Fixed wireless broadband is technology that provides high-speed wireless Internet access over a wide area. With this technology, broadband capacity is delivered through radio waves. A small transmitter in your local area broadcasts wireless signals that are picked up by a small antenna on your house, which channels the signal to a router or connection point inside the house. Developments in fixed wireless access are concentrated on WiMax (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) technology. WiMax technology is currently technically capable of speeds up to 75 Mbps, but in practice, the speed performance varies based on the way the network is engineered, and the equipment utilized. In Nova Scotia, commercially available services based on this technology advertise speeds of 1.5/.5 Mbps. Latency and over subscription are the most common issues affecting the speed of fixed wireless solutions.

Pros Cons ► Cost per home. ► Connection affected by adverse

weather and foliage. ► Limited by line-of-sight access to

tower. ► Latency.

Satellite Satellite Broadband is Internet connectivity provided via satellite avoiding the use of telephone landlines, cables or other fixed wire means. Satellites in orbit around the earth deliver broadband service via a satellite dish on the customer's premises. The capability of current satellite broadband service available to Nova Scotia is around 10/1 Mbps. Next generation satellite technologies could potentially deliver speeds of 25 Mbps. Satellite connections have both high bandwidth and high latency. The latency is due to network requests having to travel at the speed of light to a distant satellite and back to earth. Once the data arrives back on earth via the home satellite dish, data is transmitted with similar premise based wiring solutions to cable, DSL, or FTTH services. Satellite broadband internet is not considered optimal for services such as online gaming, VoIP or VPN connections due to the latency. Satellite transmission has inherent delays due to the transmission distances involved; however, once a connection is established, services requiring large volumes of downstream data transfers perform well (e.g. video streaming).

Pros Cons ► Globally accessible. ► Connection affected by adverse

weather. ► Latency.


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ranging from 100/50 Mbps to 950/100 Mbps. It should be noted that FibreOP is a marketing brand used by BellAliant for their fibre to the home solution. It is not an industry term.

Fibre is considered the gold standard in broadband technology to the home because of its capability to transmit data at high speeds over long distances.

Pros Cons ► Bandwidth capacity/speed. ► Long lifespan. ► Service reliability. ► Size and weight of the cable. ► Ability to access more services (TV,

Phone, Internet, more).

► Cost per home. ► Physical constraints (glass wire).

DSL/Cable Modem DSL and Cable Modems are one of the original technologies used to provide high-speed Internet access. They had their start in the 1990s and has since evolved into a very stable and capable platform. DSL/Cable modem uses existing copper telephone or cable coax wiring deployed to most homes. Deployment of network terminals in local neighborhoods enables broadband speeds. The terminals shorten the distance from the subscriber to the central office, enabling higher speed delivery over copper wires. The neighborhood terminals are typically connected by T1, T3 or Fibre based connections, which are connected back to the provider’s main method of delivering broadband. Achievable bandwidth is typically limited by the distance the home is from the neighborhood terminal.

Pros Cons ► Availability. ► Cost per home. ► Service reliability.

► Performance (distance-based issues). ► Speed (Current available services in

Nova Scotia advertise speeds up to 7 Mbps downstream).

Mobile Mobile broadband is the term for wireless Internet access through a portable modem, mobile phone, USB wireless modem, tablet or other mobile devices. Delivery of this type of broadband is enabled by the mobile (cellular) phone network. Nova Scotia currently has a mix of 3G and 4G networks. The “G” is short for generation, so 3G and 4G represent the third and fourth generations of mobile broadband Internet. Performance speed varies by operator, 4G networks average download speeds of 18/9 Mbps, while 3G networks average 3.5/1 Mbps2.

Pros Cons ► Mobility. ► Service reliability.

► Package pricing is high for primary internet use.

2 Open Signal, www.opensignal.com

HighSpeedInternetforMétisCommunities10

Thefollowinggraphicshowssomeadvantagesanddisadvantagesofseveralwirelessserviceoptions.

Ø Satellite–SatelliteBroadbandisInternetconnectivityprovidedviasatellite,avoidingtheuseoftelephonelandlines,cables,orotherfixedwiremeans.Orbitingsatellitesdeliverbroadbandserviceviaasatellitedishonthecustomer'spremises.Thecapabilityofcurrentsatellitebroadbandserviceavailableinsomeareasisaround10/1Mbps.Nextgenerationsatellitetechnologiescouldpotentiallydeliverspeedsof25Mbps.Satelliteconnectionshavebothhighbandwidthandhighlatency.Thelatencyisduetonetworkrequestshavingtotravelatthespeedoflighttoadistantsatelliteandbacktoearth.Oncethedataarrivesonearthviathehomesatellitedish,dataistransmittedwithsimilarpremise-basedwiringsolutionstocable,DSL,orFTTHservices.SatellitebroadbandInternetisnotconsideredoptimalforservicessuchasonlinegaming,VoIPorVPNconnectionsduetothelatency.Althoughsatellitetransmissionhasinherentdelaysduetothetransmissiondistancesinvolved,onceaconnectionisestablished,servicesrequiringlargevolumesofdownstreamdatatransfersperformwell(e.g.videostreaming).Althoughcostlierthanfixed-lineservice,satellitedeliveryofbroadbandprovidesaccesstomultipleremoteusersfromonedeliverypoint.Emergingtechnologyinultra-high-


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tower. ► Latency.





throughput-capacitysatellites,suchasViaSat-2(launchedinJune2017),willprovidegreatereconomiesofscaleforbroadbandproviders,whichshouldmakesatelliteservicemoreaffordable.

Ø Small-cellinfrastructure–Small-cellinfrastructureincludesavarietyofoperator-controlledradio-communicationsequipmentthatprovidesmobileandInternetserviceswithinlocalizedareas.Theterm“smallcell”coversfemtocells,picocells,microcells,andmetrocells.Thesecellstypicallyhavearangeoffrom10toseveralhundredmetres.Thistypeofinfrastructureisalreadyusedinsomeruralareas,includingSaskatchewan.

ThefollowingtableshowsthepenetrationofvariousserviceoptionsinruralandurbanareasofCanadaandintheWesternprovincesingeneral.

“Backbone”and“lastmile”BroadbandInternetinfrastructureincludesboththebackbone,whichisthemaindataroute,andthelastmile,whichconnectshomesandbusinessestothebackbone.

Backboneconnectivityoccursthroughtwomaindataroutes:wired,whichdeliversdataviaafibreopticcable(alsocalledafibreline);andwireless,whichdeliversdataviaamicrowavestationtoafixedwirelesstowerorasatellite.Thereafter,end-usersaccessthebackbonethroughalast-mileconnection,whichmaybeawiredconnection—viafibre,adigitalsubscriberline(DSL),orcable—orawirelessconnectiontoafixedwirelesstower.Wirelesslast-mileconnectionscanalsobeprovidedbysatellites.


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tower. ► Latency.





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indicate that Atlantic Canadians have the highest usage of fibre for home internet services at a level of double or more than most regions in Canada. In addition, the adoption of satellite services in Atlantic Canada are lower than other regions.

Type of Home Internet Service for Key Segments (Representative and Open)

Note: Survey response percentages may not add up to 100% because respondents that answered the survey with the responses: ‘mobile wireless’, ‘other’, ‘don’t know’ or did not respond, were not provided in the CRTC data.

Telephone Line (DSL)

Cable SatelliteFibre Optic

Fixed Wire-less

Telephone Line (DSL)

Cable SatelliteFibre Optic

Fixed Wire-less

Overall 20% 42% 5% 17% 8% 25% 45% 8% 9% 6%Urban/Rural

Urban 17% 48% 2% 19% 7% 23% 56% 3% 10% 3%Rural 33% 18% 19% 8% 12% 29% 17% 20% 4% 15%

RegionBritish Columbia 21% 51% 5% 12% 7% 25% 57% 5% 5% 3%Alberta 18% 36% 9% 10% 15% 24% 49% 6% 8% 7%Saskatchewan & Manitoba

24% 35% 2% 13% 13% 38% 30% 8% 7% 9%

Ontario 20% 46% 5% 13% 8% 26% 47% 6% 6% 6%Quebec 13% 47% 3% 25% 3% 20% 45% 11% 11% 5%Atlantic 18% 23% 3% 44% 6% 25% 24% 8% 21% 13%Territories 48% 24% 20% 0% 6% 33% 35% 18% 1% 3

Representative Survey (n=1,488) Open Survey (n=27,152)


Thefollowingdiagramoffersasimplifiedviewofthetechnologyoptions.

CostEffectivenessThecost-effectivenessofvariousbroadbanddeliverysystemsishighlyinfluencedbythepopulationdensitiesofthetargetedregions.Thefollowinggraphicshowshowdecliningpopulationdensitiesleadtohighercapitalcostsforhouseholdswithwirelessorwirelinebroadband(wireorfibre).Satellites,becauseoftheirvastcoverage,donotshowthesamerisingcosts,althoughtheirtechnicalcharacteristicsmakethemachoiceforonlysparselypopulatedareas.


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7.0 Technical solution alternatives

There are two major technical factors affecting rural broadband availability:

1. Last Mile –technologies used to connect individual homes and businesses to the network.

2. Middle Mile - the network segment between the core network and last mile providers.

In rural areas of Nova Scotia, the last mile options are typically phone line copper pairs from the telecom, or fixed wireless solutions deployed to enable the 1.5 Mbps service in the 2007 provincial initiative.

Figure Simplified Technology Options

As shown in the simplified technology options diagram there are three options for the last mile:

1. Wired – this could be cable, fibre, or copper pair. 2. Fixed Wireless. 3. Satellite.

Deploying these technologies in rural areas can face a number of challenges. The first potential barrier to providing broadband internet is the availability of last-mile infrastructure to connect homes and business to the internet.


RURAL BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT

LIBRARY OF PARLIAMENT 5 PUBLICATION NO. 2011-57-E

In addition, in Budget 2019, the Government of Canada committed to ensuring that 95% of Canadians have access to Internet speeds corresponding to CRTC targets by 2026 and that 100% of Canadians have access to them by 2030. To achieve its objectives, the government proposed various initiatives, including these:

• Universal Broadband Fund: Up to $1.7 billion over 13 years, starting in 2019–2020, to establish a national broadband Internet program. This funding will build on initiatives under the Connect to Innovate program and aim to increase Low Earth Orbit satellite capacity.

• Statistics Canada targeted surveys: Up to $11.5 million over five years, starting in 2019–2020, for two surveys to measure household access to and use of the Internet and to measure business online behaviour.17

5 CURRENT TECHNOLOGY

The cost-effectiveness of various broadband delivery systems is highly influenced by the population densities of the targeted regions. Figure 2 shows how declining population densities lead to higher capital costs for households with wireless or wireline broadband (wire or fibre); satellites, because of their vast coverage, do not show the same rising costs, although their technical characteristics make them a choice for only sparsely populated areas.

Figure 2 – Cost-Effectiveness of Technologies by Population Density

Source: Figure prepared by the Library of Parliament using data obtained from Brightstar Canada,

Nova Scotia Department of Business Last Mile Strategy, May 2018.

The following technologies are examples of cost-effective solutions for providing high-speed Internet access to vast, sparsely populated regions.


3.0 WHYRURALANDREMOTECOMMUNITIESNEEDHIGH-SPEEDINTERNET

3.1 BROADBANDANDSOCIAL-ECONOMICDEVELOPMENTTheavailabilityofhigh-speed/broadbandInternetservicesinruralcommunitieshasbeenidentifiedasakeytotheirviability.UrbanCanadianshaveaccesstoawidevarietyofInternetservices,whilethoselivinginruralorremoteareashavelimitedornoaccesstobroadbandbecausebuildingbroadbandnetworksisextremelyexpensive.Theircost-effectivenessishighlydependentonthepopulationdensityofthemarket.Thisgulfinconnectivitybetweenurbanandruralareas,oftenreferredtoasthe“digitaldivide,”hasbecomeapolicyconcernforalllevelsofgovernment.AccordingtotheEconomics,ResourcesandInternationalAffairsDivision,ParliamentaryInformationandResearchService,high-speedInternet(orbroadband)isintegraltothelivesofmanyCanadianswhouseitforbanking,shopping,education,andentertainment.Furthermore,governmentsatalllevelsareofferingmoreandmoreservicesonline.BroadbandInternethasanincreasedimportanceinruralareas.Itmakesavailableavarietyofessentialservices,suchaseducationandmedicalservices,whichpeoplelivinginruralandremoteareasmaybeunabletoaccessotherwise.InDecember2016,theCanadianRadio-TelevisionandTelecommunicationsCommission(CRTC)declaredthatbroadbandInternetaccessisabasictelecommunicationsserviceforallCanadiansandsetthefollowingtargetsforthebasicservicesthatCanadiansneedtoparticipateinthedigitaleconomy:

• Speedsof50megabitspersecond(Mbps)download/10MbpsuploadforfixedbroadbandInternetaccessservices;

• Anunlimiteddataoptionforfixedbroadbandaccessservices;and

• Thelatestmobilewirelesstechnologyavailablenotonlyinallhomesandbusinesses,butalsoalongmajorCanadianroads.BecauseCanada’spopulationisunevenlydistributedoveravastlandscape–mostCanadiansliveincitiesalongtheborderwiththeUnitedStates–connectivityacrossthecountryisunequal.

BroadbandandHealthcareThecombinationofbroadbandnetworksandhealthITisexpectedtotransformhealthcarewithbetteroutcomesandlowercosts.Themajorityoftheseinnovationsrequirebroadbandnetworks.Someexamplesofhealthcaresolutionsthatwilldrivenetworkrequirementsare:


• Telehealth–Innovativehealthcarecanbedeliveredthroughvideoconferencingcommunicationresultinginimprovedaccessforpatients,families,andhealthcareprofessionals.

• Electronicmedicalrecords(EMR)-Healthcareprofessionalsareadoptingthistechnologytobettertrackhealthdataovertime,identifypatientswhoaredueforpreventativevisitsorscreening,monitorhowpatientscomparetoguidelines,andimproveoverallqualityofcare.Oneofthemaingoalsofdeployingthetechnologyistheabilitytoputpatient’srecordsonlinethroughoutaprovince.Fulladoptionofthistechnologywouldrequirehealthprofessionalstohavebroadbandaccess.

BroadbandandEducationTechnology,includingtheInternet,istransformingeducationbyimprovinglearningthroughdistanceeducation,digitalsimulationsandmodels,storytellingandmultimedia,e-books,andgaming.UNESCOhasidentifiedthatdeployingbroadbandthroughoutcommunitiesenablesfairaccesstoeducation.Internetaccessallowsstudentstohaveaccesstoteachersworldwideandenableseducatorstobetterassesshowindividualstudentslearnsothatteachingtechniquescanbetailoredspecificallytotheirneeds.TheInternetcanalsobeaneffectivewaytoincreaseeducationforstudentswhilelimitingcoststoparentsandlevelingtheplayingfieldofeducation,suchasthroughonlinetutoringprograms.Educationcannolongerbeseparatedfromtechnology,asparticipationintheglobaleconomyisincreasinglydependentonskillsdevelopedbynavigatingthedigitalworld.Broadbandnetworkshavethepotentialtoradicallyaltertheeducationallandscape,extendaccesstodistancelearningprogramsinoutlyingcommunities,andhelpsmallerregionsmaintainhigh-performingstudentswhocanhelpbenefittheircommunitiesbyservingaslocalentrepreneurs,researchersandpolicy-makers.Distancelearningmodelscanbeextendedtoprofessionalswhoneedcontinuingeducationtomaintaintheirprofessionallicenseorinsituationswheretheyseekadditionaleducationtomaintainorgrowtheirbusinesses.Broadbandaccessallowseducationtopenetratecommunitieshelpingthemtothrive.CanadianshavedemonstratedbroadadoptionofInternettechnologiesinsupportoftheireducationalactivities.Inthe2016CRTC“Let’sTalkBroadbandFindingsReport”,forty-sixpercentofCanadiansintherepresentativesurvey(65%ofCanadiansintheopensurvey)indicatedthat,inthelasttwelvemonths,theyhaveusedInternetservicestoaccessformaleducation,training,and/ortocompletehomework.Likewise,ruralCanadiansidentifiedbroadbandInternetascriticaltotheirabilitytoaccesseducationalopportunities,accessprofessionalimprovementopportunitiesandtoobtaininformationtosupportstudies.


BroadbandandEconomicDevelopmentWorldwide,researchhasshownthatmanyeconomicbenefitshavebeenlinkedtoaccesstobroadband.Theseinclude,butarenotlimitedto,accesstoemploymentandeducationopportunities,e-commerce,bankingservices,marketing,andfacilitatedcommunicationwithmunicipal,provincial,andfederalgovernments.BroadbandnetworksarefundamentalinfrastructureforindustrieslikeInformationandCommunicationTechnologies(ICT)andDigitalMedia.Theseindustriesareopentocontractingsmallcompanies,leveragingremoteworkforces,andengagingindependentcontractors.Broadbandnetworksenablethesetypesofremoteworkarrangements.Thelackofadequatebroadbandservicesrepresentsanobstacleforpeopleinareaswithoutthisservicewhocouldotherwisebenefitfromsuchanopportunity.EventhoughthetypesofactivitiestheInternetisusedforremainthesamewithvaryingspeedsofconnectivity,socioeconomiceffectsofhigherbroadbandspeedsarerealizablesimplygiventhatgreaterbandwidthandhigherspeedsresultsinagreatertransmissionofinformation.Overall,severalkeydriversofhouseholdincomearebelievedtobelinkedtoInternetaccessspeed,includingincreasedpersonalproductivity,accesstoflexibleworkarrangements,alargernumberofadvancedhouseholdbusinesses,andincreasededucationlevels,ultimatelymakingindividualsmoresuccessfulattheirchosencareerpaths.WithintheOrganizationforEconomicCooperationandDevelopment(OECD)countries,itwasfoundthatgainingaccessto4Mbpsbroadbandincreasedhouseholdincomeby$2,100USDperyearandupgradingbroadbandfrom0.5Mbpsto4Mbpsincreasedincomebyaround$322USDpermonth.Adigitaldivideseparatesthosewhousebroadbandfromthosewhodonot.Therearetwomaincategoriesofdigitaldivide:thetechnicaldigitaldivideandthesocio-economicdigitaldivide.• Thetechnicaldigitaldividereferstoaccessibilityorthetechnicalabilitytohavea

broadbandconnection.Althoughtheremaybeareasincities(orontheurban-suburbanfringe)withnoaccesstobroadband,the“technicaldigitaldivide”generallyreferstothegapbetweenurbanandruralorremoteareas.

• Thesocio-economicdigitaldividefocusesonfactorsindependentofwherepeoplelive,

suchasage,income,education,languageorgender.Bridgingthesocio-economicdigitaldivideisimportantinestablishinganinclusivedigitalsociety.


InthecaseoftheruralMétispopulation,bothcategoriesmayimpactaccessibilitytobroadbandInternet.

3.2 BROADBAND:BUSINESSNEEDSANDTRENDSInformationandcommunicationtechnologiesthatrequirebroadbandarebeingutilizedbybusinessesforawiderangeofactivitiesincludinginternalbusinesssystems,business-to-businesscommunication,researchactivities,andbusinesstoconsumerelectroniccommerce.Forty-fivepercentofallCanadianbusinessesand41.1percentofallsmallCanadianbusinesses,forexample,haveawebsite.BusinessesarealsoturningtoexternalCloud-basedbusinesssystemstohelpmanagedocuments,humanresources,customerrelationships,andotherinternalprocesses.Thesesystemshavebeenfoundtosupportefficienciesincommunicationandcollaborationamongemployees.Thisallowsmanagerstostreamlineoperations,reducingcostsandincreasingspeedofdevelopment.DatasurveysofCanadianSmallandMediumBusinesses(SMB’s)useofCloud-basedservicesarelimited;however,a2014IDCsurveyofUSSMB’sdemonstratedthatover25%ofearlyadoptersandonefifthofSMBfastfollowers(thosewhoadopttechnologyaftertheinitialinnovationadoptionbyearlyadopters)wereplanningtoadoptCloud-basedservicesasof2015.ItissafetoassumeCanadianSMB’swillfollowsimilaradoptiontrends.Electroniccommercethroughbusiness-to-business,business-to-consumer,orInternetmarketingisbecomingawayoflifeforbusinesses.Increasedproductivityandsavingsareresultingfromdeployingofbusinesssystemsthatworktogethertoshareinformationandinteractions.Morebusinessesareturningtoe-marketplacestoexpandtheirreachtonewcustomersinavarietyoflocationsandanincreasednumberarerelyingsolelyononlinemarketplacestoselltheirgoodsandservicesinsteadofbrickandmortarlocations.Thisisspecificallyimportantforruralentrepreneurswhomaynotbeincloseproximitytothepopulationneededtosupporttheirbusiness,buthaveskillsandservicesthatcanbesoldthroughecommerce. Thee-commercemarket,whereconsumersandbusinessescanbuyandsellproductsandservicesexclusivelythroughelectronicchannels,hasbeendevelopingconstantlyinthepastdecade.Infact,retailsalesfromworldwideelectroniccommerceareexpectedtogrowfrom2.3trillionU.S.dollarsin2017toalmost4.9trillionin2021.Asof2018,e-commerceretailtradesalesinCanadaamountedtoalmost$1.6billion,andrevenuegeneratedwithintheretaile-commercemarketisexpectedtosurpass$55billionby2023,upfrom40billionin2018.Commercialactivityisincreasinglydependentonbroadbandnetworksaswell.Broadbandnetworksarecriticalenablersofeconomicgrowthinsectorssuchasfinancialservices,digitalmedia,andinformationcommunicationstechnology(ICT).Widelyavailable


broadbandservicescouldserveasanenablerforallregionstoparticipateinthebenefitsoftheseeconomicdevelopmentefforts.TherequirementforbroadbandInternetconnectivityvariesbybusinesstypeandneed.SomebusinessesrequiresymmetricalInternetconnections,withthesamedownloadanduploadspeeds,whileothersrequirethetypicalconnectionusedbymostresidentialconsumers.Overall,mostusersarestilldownloadingmoreinformationthanuploadingtotheInternet,butsomebusinessesareregularlyuploadinglargefilesormorefrequentlyuploadingfiles,suchaswhenusingsharedsitesforcollaborating,wheresymmetricaltrafficisneeded.ForSmalltoMediumEnterprises(SMEs),connectivityisoneofthemoreimportantfactorsbusinessesconsiderwhenlocatinginacertainarea.Itisalsoanimportantconsiderationinhowthebusinesswilloperate.Incaseswhereabusinesshastobringinspecializedtalentfromurbanregions,suchasgeologistsorheavyequipmentmechanics,theseprospectiveemployeesoftenfinditdetrimentaltobewithoutthe‘alwayson’and‘alwaysavailable’levelofconnectivityavailabletotheminlargercentres.Assuch,companiesexperiencehighturnoverratesthatresultinhigheroperationcosts,asincreasinglyhighersalariesarerequiredtoattracttheneededtalenttotheseareas.Thismakesitdifficultforbusinessestoexpandandgrow.Whilequalityoflifeattractsmanypeopletocertainruralorremoteregions,thetendencywillbetoseekacommunitywithsuperiorconnectivitysothattheycanenjoybothqualityoflifeandtheabilitytowork.Also,lackofreliableconnectivityatemployees’homeshinderstheabilitytogrowandattractworkers,astherearenotelecommutingoptions.Additionally,employeetrainingiscomplicatedintheabsenceofconnectivity;onlinecoursesandseminarsarecommonplace,butwithpoorconnectivity,employeesmusttraveltoreceivetraining,costingSMEstimeandmoney.High-speedInternetiscriticalforbusinessesinruralandremoteareastothrive.Ruralbusinessesoftenrequirethesameaccesstotechnologyservicesasthoseinurbancentres,whetheritisprocessingCloud-basedsoftwareoracredit-cardsale.Ruralandremotebusinesseshavechallengesattractingskilledlabour,moresothantheirurbancounterparts;hence,improvedconnectivitycanhelpattracttalent.Scalabilityisparticularlyimportantforbusinessesastheycontinuetoupgradenetworksandgivenhowtheyuseconnectivity.Economicgrowthcanbeachievedbymeetingconnectivityneedsinruralareas.Almostallindustriesnowrelyonconnectivitytoimprovetheirproductivityandworkmoreefficiently.Onestudyfoundthat,historically,broadbanddeploymentacrossCanadahaspromotedgrowthinaggregateemploymentandaveragewages,particularlyinruralregions.ThissamestudyestimatesthatprovidingbroadbandaccessinCanadawhereitdidnotexistpreviouslywouldincreaseemploymentgrowthandaveragewagegrowthinserviceindustriesby1.17and1.01percentagepointsrespectivelyperyearinruralregions.


Anotherfactorisaffordability.ItisimportantthatpriceschargedbereasonablesothatCanadianscanmeaningfullysubscribeandusetheservicesinquestion.Itisnotenoughforaservicetobeavailable,ifthecostisoutofreach.Itshouldbenoted,moreover,thatthemonthlypriceisnottheonlyfactorinaffordability.Forexample,thedatausageavailable,includingwhetheranunlimiteddataoptionisoffered,isjustasimportant.Publicinvestmentsinruralconnectivitycanmakeservicesmoreaffordable.Havinghigh-capacityinfrastructureinplaceenablesserviceproviderstoofferlowerprices,ashigherpricesareoftenaresultofinadequateinfrastructure.Thefederalgovernmentconsidersaffordabilityasanobjectiveinconnectivityprograms.Onewayitwilldothisisbyincludingitintheassessmentcriteriaandrequiringpartnerstomaintainopenaccess.Theimportanceofmobileconnectivityalsocontinuestogrow.TheuseofsmartphonesandothermobiledevicesisincreasinglyintegraltothedailylivesofCanadians.However,lackofcoverageisstilltoocommoninruralandremoteareas,withmanygapsalonghighwaysandroads.Bytheendof2017,14%ofmajorCanadianroadsandhighwaysstilllackedmobilewirelesscoverage.Thesegapsincoverageposesafetyconcernsformotoristsandtravellersinneedofemergencyservices,amongotherchallenges.AfullyconnectedCanadamustincludeaccesstohigh-speedmobilebroadbandservices,suchasLong-TermEvolution(LTE).ThefederalgovernmentplanstouseprogramsandothertoolstoexpandmobileserviceswhereCanadiansliveandwork,andonhighwaysandmajorroads.ThisincludestheGovernment’sAcceleratedInvestmentIncentivethatispromptingtheprivatesectortoexpandmobileservicesalongroadsandtheCRTC’s$750millionfund,launchedin2019.Governmentwillcontinuetolookatwaystoimprovemobilewirelesscoverageacrossthecountryasanimportanttoolforcommunicationandpublicsafety.ThesemeasureshelpmeettheneedsofCanadians,wherevertheyare.


4.0 GLOBALANDINDIGENOUSPERSPECTIVESONBROADBANDACCESS

4.1 AGLOBALISSUE–OECDPERSPECTIVESONRURALCONNECTIVITYCanadaisnotaloneinfacingtheurban/ruraldigitaldivide.TheEuropeanCommission,forexample,notedthefollowingsituationinitsreportBroadbandCoverageinEurope,2017:

RuralbroadbandcoveragecontinuedtobelowerthannationalcoverageacrossEUMemberStates.Although92.4%ofruralEUhomeswerepassedbyatleastonefixedbroadbandtechnologyinmid-2017,lessthan50%(46.9%)hadaccesstohigh-speednextgenerationservices.

Today,almostalldevelopedcountrieshavedigitalorbroadbandplansthatcallforuniversalbroadbandaccess.AccordingtoEnhancingAccessandConnectivitytoHarnessDigitalTransformation(OECDReportMarch2019),digitaltransformationcanonlybefullyrealizedifhighqualityaccesstocommunicationnetworksandservicesismadeavailableataffordablepricesforallpeopleandfirmsnomatterwhotheyareorwheretheylive.Thisinvolvesinvestinginsignificantlyupgradingcommunicationinfrastructurestoaddresstheincreasingdemandfordatageneratedbythebillionsofdevicescomingonlineinthenearfuture.Increasingcompetitionandmakingiteasiertorollouttheneededinfrastructurewillencouragethisinvestment.Atthesametime,effortsneedtobemadetoallowallpartsofsocietytotakepartindigitaltransformation,includingruralpopulationscurrentlyexperiencingsignificantlyworsebroadbandaccessinmanyOECDcountries.Asindicatedinthematrixbelow,CanadasitsinthemiddleoftheOECDcountriesintermsofbothbroadbandcoverage(%ofhomescovered)anddownloadspeeds.


MatrixofOECDnationalbroadbandtargetspercoverageandqualityPrepareformorepeopleandthingsgoingonlinethaneverbeforeAsdemandsforreliableandfastconnectionsareexpectedtocontinuetoincrease,policymakersshouldencourageinvestmentinhighqualityandaffordablecommunicationinfrastructuresandservices.InDecember2017,mobilebroadbandsubscriptionsintheOECDarearosetoover100subscriptionsper100inhabitantsforthefirsttime.Thisrepresentsanincreaseof79millionmobilebroadbandsubscriptionssinceDecember2016.TheInternetofThingsanditsdemandsoncommunicationnetworksalsogrewdramaticallyoverthesameperiod.Between2015and2017,mobiledatausagemorethandoubledintwo-thirdsofthecountriesforwhichdatawereavailable,withtheOECDaveragein2017being3GBofdatausepermobilesubscription.TheIoTwillbeakeyelementofthedigitalfuture.Itwillincreasinglyenabledigitaltechnologiestoembedthemselvesinallaspectsofoureconomiesandsocieties.OneestimatesuggeststhattheIoTwillbemadeupof20billiondevicesworldwideby2022(morethanthreeobjectsperperson),representingglobalgrowthofmorethan400%overfiveyears.OutofthemanytypesoftheIoT,machine-to-machine(M2M)subscriptionsalonealmostdoubledacrosstheOECDbetween2014and2017.Asmorepeopleandthingsconnect,greaterdemandwillbeplacedonnetworks.Many

DSTI/CDEP/CISP(2017)1/FINAL │ 19

BRIDGING THE DIGITAL RURAL DIVIDE Unclassified

In Australia, the government expects their national broadband network, aimed to be completed in 2020, will provide peak wholesale download data rates (and proportionate upload rates) of at least 25 Mbps to all premises, and at least 50 Mbps to 90% of fixed line premises as soon as possible. In the European Union area, countries follow or exceed the baseline of the commitments included in the “Europe 2020” strategy. In terms of access, the European Union commitment is that by 2020, there should be 30 Mbps to 100% of households (coverage) (European Commission, 2010). Austria, Denmark, Finland and Israel have a target of 100 Mbps to 99% or 100% of households. Meanwhile, Slovenia has a goal of 96% at this speed. For its part, the United States aims for 100 Mbps to 100 million homes, while Korea’s goal is 1 Gbps to 90% of urban areas (85 cities) and 100 Mbps to 100% of households (including rural areas with 50 households).

Figure 3. Matrix of OECD national broadband targets per coverage and quality

Notes: Only the most ambitious access targets in terms of household or population coverage were included (urban area target such as the Korean one for 2017 was excluded for comparability purposes). Countries are represented by their ISO codes. All European Union (EU) countries, unless specified, follow the EU broadband access target. Target end dates differ between countries.

In terms of uptake, national targets among OECD countries are less common, but a number of countries, following the European Union commitments, have established specific goals in terms of broadband penetration of households and businesses. The target set by the European Union for usage by the “Digital Agenda for Europe” is 100 Mbps subscriptions to 50% of households (uptake). While some countries chose not to adopt this target, believing it to be unfeasible in their national contexts, others adhered to it. Belgium went beyond this target and set that 50% of its households should have subscriptions to services of 1 Gbps, while Estonia increased the proportion of households with 50 Mbps broadband services to 60%. Poland has added the target of 50% of businesses with 50 Mbps until 2020 to that of


connecteddevices,includingthosethatarepoweredbyemergingdigitaltechnologieslikeartificialintelligence(AI),willrequirethetransmissionofhugeamountsofdata.Similarly,asconnecteddevicesbecomewidespreadincriticalsectorssuchashealthorenergy,thesafeandreliablefunctioningofrelatedsystemswilldependonthereliabilityofcommunicationnetworks.Inparticular,theseapplicationsmayrequirethetime-sensitiveuploadanddownloadofdata,withrapidtransmissionofdatabetweentwodevicesinthenetwork.InvestinbroadbandtoempowerfuturetechnologiesAsmorepeopleandthingsgoonline,continuedinvestmentincommunicationnetworksisneededtoensurethatconnectionsandtransfersofdatabetweenconnecteddevicescantakeplacequickly.Theuseoffibreinfixednetworksmustbeextendedtosupportincreasesinspeedandcapacityacrossallnext-generationtechnologies.AsofDecember2017,onaverageonly23%offixedbroadbandsubscriptionsinOECDcountrieswerefibre,comparedto41%ofsubscriptionsthatusexDSLcables.5G,thefifthgenerationofwirelesscommunicationtechnology,holdsmanypromises,includingdownloadspeedsthatare200timesfasterandonetenthofthedatatransmissionround-triptime(i.e.latency)comparedtocurrent4Gnetworks,enablinghigherprocessingspeedsandmoredevicestogoonlinewirelessly.Thecontinuedexpansionofthedigitaltransformationsreliesontheincreasedexpansionoffixednetworkswithsufficientcapacity.Thisisbecausefixednetworkstakeonthe‘heavylifting’oftheincreasingdemandsonwirelessnetworksespeciallywhereradiospectrumisascarceresource.Therefore,investmentinnextgenerationcommunicationnetworkssuchasfibreiscritical.Bybringingfibrephysicallyclosertotheenduser,whetherabusinessoraresidence,Internetspeedincreasesacrossalltechnologies,evenwhenthefinalconnectionsaremadeusingco-axialcableorcopper.Attheendof2017,therewereonaverageonlysevenfibresubscriptionsper100peopleacrosstheOECD.Theemergenceof5Gnetworkswillrequiretherolloutofanumberofsmallercellsitesthatwillcomplementtraditionallargecelltowers,underliningtheneedforincreasedinvestmentinnext-generationcommunicationinfrastructures.Itislikelythatsomeofthetraditionaltelecommunicationregulatoryissueswillbecomeevenmorerelevantforthesuccessfulrolloutofthisnewgenerationofwirelesstechnologies.Forexample,streamlining“rightsofway”fortelecommunicationoperatorsbecomeincreasinglyimportanttodeploymassivenumbersofsmallcellsfor5Gandbackhaultoconnectthecells.Similarly,allwirelessconnectionsdependontheuseofspectrum,efficientspectrummanagement,effectiveaccesstobackhaulandbackbonefacilities,andnewformsofinfrastructuresharing,andsothesewillbeessentialforthedevelopmentof5Gmobilenetworks.


ExpandingaccessforaninclusivedigitaltransformationEnsuringadequateaccesstocommunicationinfrastructuresforallcitizensisessentialfortherealizationoftheopportunitiesofdigitaltransformation.Anumberofdividesexistinsocietyincludingdifferencesinaccesstobroadbandbetweenruralandurbanareas,anddividesalonggenderandage,amongothers.Bridgingthegapsisneededtoensureaninclusivedigitaltransformationsothatopportunitiesareharnessedbyall.EntrencheddividesinbroadbandconnectionpersistacrosstheOECD.Therural-urbandividenotonlyincludesdifferencesinaccesstobroadbandservices,butalsounequalaccesstobroadbandofsufficientquality.AcrossamajorityofOECDcountries,theshareofhouseholdswithbroadbandconnectionsinruralareasislessthantheshareinurbanandotherareas,althoughencouraginglythisgaphasbeennarrowing.AllOECDcountrieshavesetnationaltargetsforbroadbandavailability.In2017,themajorityofOECDcountriesaimedforaround90%ofthepopulationtohaveaccesstobroadbandservicesatdownloadratesofmorethan20Mbps.Indeed,variationsinaccessbecomeevenmoresignificantwhenconnectionspeedistakenintoaccount.In2016,just56%ofruralhouseholdsintheOECDareahadaccesstofixedbroadbandwithaminimumspeedof30Mbps,incomparisontoover85%ofhouseholdsinotherareas.Measuresoffixedbroadbandcoveragewithaminimumspeedof30Mbpsinruralareascancontrastsharplywithoverallbroadbandaccessdatameasuredbysurveysthatdonottakeintoaccountminimumspeedsortechnologycategories.

Ruralareaslagbehindurbanareasinbroadbandaccessatsufficientspeeds

© OECD 20

Figure 2. Investing in fibre backhaul can increase speeds across all technologies

Fixed broadband subscriptions, per 100 inhabitants, by technology, December 2017

StatLink 2 http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888933915012

Source: OECD (2019a), Measuring the Digital Transformation: A Roadmap for the Future, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264311992-en, based on OECD, Broadband Portal, www.oecd.org/sti/broadband/broadband-statistics; ITU, World Telecommunication ICT Indicators Database, http://handle.itu.int/11.1002/pub_series/dataset/64cb0e71-en; European Union, Digital Scoreboard, https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/digital-scoreboard (accessed September 2018).

Promote competition and remove barriers to investment to boost connectivity

Greater convergence in communication markets means policy makers must promote competition to ensure that users benefit from greater choice from network service providers, either through bundled or simple voice, data and video offers. Fixed, wireless and broadcasting network services are increasingly being delivered on Internet protocol (IP)-based networks. This means that market players are able to offer combinations of telephony, broadband Internet access, wireless services and television. Promoting competition can increase investment, lower prices and drive up the overall quality and speed of broadband offers, including to underserved populations.

Broadband has become a general-purpose technology that supports a variety of traffic types, applications and devices, including transformative technologies like cloud computing and the IoT. This could lead over-the-top applications such as voice and video services to directly compete with the service offerings of network operators. There is a changing relationship between innovation, competition and investment in this converging market which will require policy makers to promote frameworks that foster investment in broadband networks, protect consumers, promote competition and enable opportunities for all (OECD, 2016).

As markets transform, policy makers should exercise caution with potential mergers that would reduce the number of mobile network operators (MNOs) and consider analysis on both price and non-price effects of such mergers. Experience in OECD countries has shown that countries with a larger number of MNOs, for example those going from three to four operators, are likely to offer more competitive and innovative services (OECD, 2014), although local conditions vary. Further, proposed remedies should be assessed in terms of whether they effectively ensure competition. Some countries have opted for behavioural remedies such as obtaining commitments from merging parties and others have facilitated the presence of mobile virtual network operators or have applied structural remedies (e.g. divestment). Policy makers should also promote sufficient competition in international mobile roaming (Bourassa et al., 2016).

Sharing network components can also reduce costs. It is a critical decision for each country to determine the balance between end-to-end infrastructure competition and the joint provisioning of facilities by rivals to support greater retail competition. Infrastructure sharing can promote competition, particularly where markets are characterised by a dominant player, and could reduce costs for network and services providers while enabling the development of new and innovative services for end users (OECD, 2017a). As 5G networks are rolled out, many expect that infrastructure sharing will become increasingly important to reduce the costs (OECD, forthcoming).

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Total fixed broadband Of which, fibre Total fixed broadband, 2012


Addressinggeographicaldigitaldividesischallengingbecausebackbonenetworksaretypicallylocatedclosertodenselypopulatedareas.Areaswithlowpopulationdensitymaybepronetonaturalmonopolies,ascommercialoperatorsmayassessthatthereisinsufficientdemandtoinvest.Insomecountries,alackofbasicinfrastructure,includingelectricity,roads,andports,canpresentfurtherchallengestohigh-speedinfrastructuredevelopmentinruralandremoteareas.InthemajorityofOECDcountries,privateinvestmentisthelargestsourceofinvestmentincommunicationinfrastructures.However,insomeinstances,governmentsmaybebetterplacedtotakealonger-termandbroaderviewofreturns,andmaychoosetoinvestalongsideprivateactorsthroughpublic-privatepartnershipstosharetherisksassociatedwiththecreation,development,andoperationofaninfrastructureasset.Often,suchinvestmenttakesplacethroughnationalbroadbandplans.ThemajorityofOECDcountrieshaveincludedspecificcomponentsintheirplansrelatedtotheexpansionofbroadbandinruralandremoteareas.Suchnationalbroadbandstrategiesshouldaddressallofthekeybarrierstotheexpansionofhigh-speednetworksandservices,andshouldberevisitedandreviewedregularly.

Governmentsmaychoosetosolvecriticalbottleneckstoprivateoperationinruralareasbyinvestinginhigh-speedbackbonesorbackhaulinfrastructure,albeitoftenwiththeprovisionofimplementingopenaccesspoliciessoastonotencouragemonopolypowerinunderservedareas.Anotheroptionistopromoteprivateinvestmentthroughavarietyofincentivestoreducethecostofinvestmentandnetworkdeploymentinruralareas.Thesecanincludecompetitivetenderingforpartialtaxexemption,changestospectrumlicensearrangements,orloansatareducedinterestrate,althoughcompetingobjectivesshouldbeconsideredbeforepolicychangesaremade.

© OECD 20

Indeed, variations in access become even more significant when connection speed is taken into account. In 2016,

just 56% of rural households in the OECD area had access to fixed broadband with a minimum speed of 30 Mbps, in

comparison to over 85% of households in other areas (Figure 4). Measures of fixed broadband coverage with a

minimum speed of 30 Mbps in rural areas can contrast sharply with overall broadband access data measured by

surveys that do not take into account minimum speeds or technology categories.

Addressing geographical digital divides is challenging because backbone networks are typically located closer to densely

populated areas. Areas with low population density may be prone to natural monopolies, as commercial operators may

assess that there is insufficient demand to invest. In some countries, a lack of basic infrastructure, including electricity,

roads and ports, can present further challenges to high-speed infrastructure development in rural and remote areas.

In the majority of OECD countries, private investment is the largest source of investment in communication

infrastructures. However, in some instances, governments may be better placed to take a longer-term and broader

view of returns, and may choose to invest alongside private actors through public-private partnerships to share the

risks associated with the creation, development and operation of an infrastructure asset.

Often, such investment takes place through national broadband plans. The majority of OECD countries have

included specific components in their plans related to the expansion of broadband in rural and remote areas (OECD,

2018b). Such national broadband strategies should address all of the key barriers to the expansion of high-speed

networks and services, and should be revisited and reviewed regularly.

Figure 4. Rural areas lag behind urban and other areas in broadband access at sufficient speeds

Households in areas where fixed broadband with a contracted speed of 30 Mbps or more is available, as a percentage of households in the total and rural categories, June

StatLink 2 http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888933915050

Note: See Statlink for figure notes.

Source: OECD (2019a), Measuring the Digital Transformation: A Roadmap for the Future, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264311992-

en, based on OECD calculations based on CRTC, Communications Monitoring Report, 2017 (Canada); EC, Study on Broadband Coverage in Europe 2017 (European Union); FCC, 2018 Broadband Deployment Report (United States).

Governments may choose to solve critical bottlenecks to private operation in rural areas by investing in high-speed

backbones or backhaul infrastructure (OECD, 2017c), albeit often with the provision of implementing open access

policies so as to not encourage monopoly power in underserved areas (OECD, 2017d). Another option is to promote

private investment through a variety of incentives to reduce the cost of investment and network deployment in rural

areas. These can include competitive tendering for partial tax exemption, changes to spectrum license arrangements,

or loans at a reduced interest rate (OECD, 2018b), although competing objectives should be considered before policy

changes are made.

Divides do not exist only as a result of physical infrastructure. Further to the divides between rural and urban

populations, divides exist along a range of dimensions, including gender, age, income and education. While across the

OECD, women access the Internet in similar numbers to men, in some countries the gap can be large (OECD, 2019b). For

example, in Turkey there was a gap of 18 percentage points between men and women and one of over 66 percentage

0

20

40

60

80

100%

Rural Total


Dividesdonotexistonlyasaresultofphysicalinfrastructure.Furthertothedividesbetweenruralandurbanpopulations,dividesexistalongarangeofdimensions,includinggender,age,income,andeducation.WhileacrosstheOECD,womenaccesstheInternetinsimilarnumberstomen,insomecountriesthegapcanbelarge.Forexample,inTurkeytherewasagapof18percentagepointsbetweenmenandwomenandoneofover66percentagepointsbetweenyoungandelderlyInternetusers.AcrosstheEuropeanUniontwiceasmanyyoungmenknowhowtocodecomparedwithyoungwomen,whilewomenarealsolesslikelytostudySTEMsubjects.Attheageof15,onlyanaverageof0.5%ofgirlsacrosstheOECDwishtobecomeICTprofessionals,comparedto5%ofboys.WithageingpopulationsandthedeliveryofpublicservicesincreasinglyconductedovertheInternet,thegapsinInternetusebetweendifferentagesmayemergeasapolicyconcern.Thoseaged55to75werelesslikelythan16-24year-oldstousetheInternetinallOECDcountries,while32%of55-65year-oldsfailedICTskillstests,comparedwithonly5%of16-24year-olds.Similardividesareseenamonglowereducatedgroupswhoconsistentlyhaveloweraccessratesthanmoreeducatedpeople.

KeyOECDrecommendations• Meetingthefast-growingdemandforgreatermobileconnectivityrequiresinvestment

infixedcommunicationnetworks,includingfibre.TheInternetofThings(IoT)meansanestimatedthreedevicesperpersonwillbeonlineby2022.

• Encouragingcompetitionbetweennetworkoperatorswilldriveinvestmentandboostconnectivity.Enhancinginfrastructuresharing,whilealsoreducingadministrativebarrierstoinvestment,couldalsohelpexpandcoverage.

• Toexpandcoverageinruralareas,oneoptionistoencourageprivateinvestmentthroughavarietyofincentives,suchascompetitivetenderingforpartialtaxexemption,lowerspectrumfees,orloansatareducedinterestrate.Otherwise,governmentscouldinvestdirectlywhereitisnotcommerciallyviable.


“Telecommunicationsbias”underminesruralbusinessesinUSA

ResearcherChristopherSmithmyercontendsthatruralareasintheUSAsufferfromwhathecallsatelecommunicationsbias.Eventhoughmillionsliveandworkinruralcommunities,telecommunicationscompaniesfocustheireffortsoncities,withtheircompactpopulationsandin-placeinfrastructuresthatareeasiertoconnectandupgrade.Thishascreatedatechnologyvoidforalargeswathofthecountry.Thisresultsina“techvoid”infourareas:

• Unreliableandslowinternetservice• Unreliablecellphoneservice• Highercostoftechservices• Lackofskilledtechworkforce

TheInternetisavailablebutitisoftenoverloadedduringslowhours.Itgetsworseafterschoolletsoutandkidslogontotheirhomeconnectionstoplayvideogamesorwatchmovies.Businessesmaynotshareanaccountwiththem,buttheyshareanoverloadedinfrastructure.

IntheUS,theFederalCommunicationCommission'sbenchmarkspeedtoconsideracommunityservedbybroadbandrequiresminimumdownloadspeedsof25Mbpsanduploadspeedsof3Mbps.IntheUSasawhole,theaverageis42.5Mbps.Suchrestrictionsendupdictatingwhereruralbusinessownerscansetupshoporwhethertheycanattempttodobusinessonawiderscale.

Foraruraldigitalcompany,everydayisastrugglejusttogetthejobdone.Itisdifficulttoexpandtechservices,bothin-houseandtocustomers,iftheyrelyonInternetconnection.InternetofThingsdevices,likesecuritysystems,won'tworkefficientlyenoughtomakethemworthwhile.

• Costoftechnologyservices–Technologycostsforsmallruralbusinessesarethesameasthoseforsmallurbanbusinesses,butforalesserservice.Theinfrastructureforhigh-speedconnectionsreliesonthephonelinesthathavebeeninservicefordecades.Beinginaruralareamayalsolimitsyouroptions,whereasanurbanbusinessownercanshoparoundforcompetitiveprices.Broadbandofferingsmaybeonecompanyonly,takeitorleaveit.

• Lackofskilledtechworkforce–Ruralcommunitiesdon'thaveaccesstoawidepopulationbasetohirefrom,makingitdifficulttofindskilledtechworkers.ITprofessionalscancommandhigherwagesthanmanysmallruralbusinessescanoffer,soin-houseorevenlocaltechsupportislimited.Techskillsamongemployeescouldlimitdigitaladoptionaswell,dependingonaccesstotraining.Newtechnologies,suchastheuseofblockchaintomanagethesupplychain,wouldbeaboostforthesebusinesses'economicsuccess,buttheyrequireworkerswhounderstandandcanimplementthesedigitaloptions.

• Solutiontothetechproblem–Becausesomuchoftoday'stechnologyreliesonconnectivity,improvingInternetavailabilityhastobeapriorityforsmallbusinesses.Fixingtheruralconnectivityproblemwouldopenupnewbusinessopportunitiesforruralcompaniesandresidents.Withfasterandmoreseamlessconnectivity,ruralbusinesseswouldbeabletoencourageemployeestouseBYOD—thepracticeofallowingemployeestousetheirowncomputers,smartphones,orotherdevicesforworkpurposes—orIoTtobumpuptheirproductivityandnotbetiedtoalandlineoranEthernetconnection.Businesseswouldbeabletoexpandtheirhorizons,withbetteraccesstoCloudcomputingsolutionsandaremoteworkforce.


4.2 CONECTIVITY–ANINDIGENOUSISSUECanada’sIndigenouscommunitiesfaceuniqueconnectivitychallenges.Indigenouspeopleshouldn’thavetomoveelsewherebecauseofthelackofbasicinfrastructureandservicestopursueeducation,undergotraining,orfindemployment.InvestmentsarerequiredsothattheyoungestandfastestgrowingsectoroftheirpopulationcanuncapthefullpotentialoftheInternet.ThefederalgovernmentplanstocontinuetoworkwithIndigenouscommunitiestoimplementconnectivityprojectsandmeettheiruniqueneeds.LimitedInternethasproventobearealandsignificantchallengeforIndigenouscommunitiesinruralCanada.Forexample,ofFirstNationsfundedbythefederaleHealthInfrastructureProgram(eHIP),allhadsomeInternetconnectivity,yettheconnectionswerenotfastenoughorconsistentlyreliable.InvestmentsbytheConnecttoInnovateprogramareimprovingaccessin190Indigenouscommunities.TelehealthservicescanbeparticularlyvaluablefornorthernMétis,FirstNations,andInuitcommunities,whichmaybeinaccessiblebyroad.Telehealthreducestraveltime,travelcosts,anddisplacementfromfamiliesandcommunities.IndigenousentrepreneurshipopportunitiesinruralareasThereareanumberofcurrentandpotentialopportunitiesforIndigenousentrepreneursandbusinessesinruralareas.Customaryactivitiesandtraditionalknowledgeareanabsoluteadvantagebecauseitisembeddedwithinaparticularlocationandembodiedwithinclosekinshipnetworks(e.g.asdemonstratedbyIndigenousarts,handicrafts,andmusic).However,itisimportanttonotethatIndigenouspeoplelivingintraditionalsettlementareaspracticingcustomaryactivitiesalsoliveintheseplacesfornon-marketreasons,andhavelivelihoodsthatarenotwellintegratedintomarketeconomies.Indigenouspeoplelivingintraditionalsettlementsalsoneedtobalancesocialandculturalobligationswithemploymentandbusinessoperations.Indigenouspopulationsinsomecountries(e.g.AustraliaandCanada)canalsobeyoungerandpotentiallyhavegreaterfamiliaritywithdigitaltechnologiesandmoreflexibleandwillingtotakeemploymentandentrepreneurialrisks.Opportunitiesfordevelopmentwillvaryacrossdifferentcommunitiesandcanrelatetodevelopingmarketsforcustomaryactivitiessuchasharvestingfood,arts,handicrafts,music,eco-tourism,medicinalandhealthproducts,andenvironmentalservices(e.g.naturalresourcemanagementandcarbonsequestration).TheremayalsobepotentialforIndigenousentrepreneurstotakeadvantageofthedisruptionwhichisandwilloccurinagricultureandfoodproduction,mining,energy,andlandandwatermanagementduetotheNextProductionRevolution(3Dprinting,InternetofThings,data-drivenproduction,andartificialintelligence),andcontinuedglobaleffortstoreducecarbonemissions.


IndigenousConnectivitySummitFindingsTheIndigenousConnectivitySummit,heldinNovember2017,inSantaFe,NewMexico,wasthefirstInternetSocietymeetingtofocusonconnectingNorthAmericanIndigenouscommunitiestotheInternet.Itdrewmorethan200participantsin-personandonlineforatwo-dayseriesofpanels,presentations,andopendiscussionsexaminingcommunitynetworksinNorthAmericaandabroad,includingtheirimpactonvariouscommunities.Thesummitwasprecededbyatwo-daytrainingsessionforIndigenouspeoplecurrentlyoperatingacommunitynetworkandthoseplanningtodeployone.TheeventlaunchedacriticaldialogueaboutwhatconnectivitymeanstoIndigenouscommunitiesandhowtoensureAlaskaNative,AmericanIndian,Métis,Inuit,andFirstNationscommunitieshaveaffordable,high-quality,andsustainableInternetaccess.Thepresentationshighlightedthevitalcorrelationbetweenconnectivityandsocio-economicbenefits,includingself-determinationandautonomy,cultureandlanguagepreservation,economicdevelopment,health,education,andemployment.TheeventgeneratedkeyrecommendationstopromotesustainableconnectivityinruralandremoteIndigenouscommunities.Theseincludetheneedfor:

• Creativeconnectivitysolutionsthatfocusonsustainability.• Anenablingenvironmentofsupportivepolicies,fundingopportunities,andpublic

education.• Capacitybuildingandeducationwithincommunities.• EasieraccesstospectrumforIndigenouscommunities.• Collaborativebackhaulsolutionsfoundedonfuture-prooftechnology.• ResearchonthestateofIndigenousconnectivityacrossNorthAmerica.

FormanyruralandremoteIndigenouscommunities,Internetconnectivityisalifelinethatprovidesaccesstoanincreasingnumberofessentialservicesonline.Despitevaryinglevelsofconnectivity,presentersattheICSclearlydemonstratedtheInternetisapowerfultoolthatcanhelpimproveawiderangeofsocialandeconomicconditions.KeyConsiderationsforIndigenousCommunitiesØ Self-determinationandautonomy–Community-drivennetworksarecriticaltoself-

determinationastheyempowerIndigenouscommunitiestoconnectthemselvestotheInternetontheirownterms.Presentersbroadlyagreedthatwhencommunitiesleadconnectivityinitiatives,theycanensureallcitizensandstakeholdershaveasayindevelopingprojectsthataddresstheuniquegoalsandprioritiesoftheareastheyserve.

“(Internetconnectivity)can’tbebroughtinfromsomesocietythatsays‘thisiswhatyouneed’...Ithastocomefromthecommunity.”MatthewRantanen,


SouthernCaliforniaTribalChairmen’sAssociation

Presentersalsonotedtheimportanceofconnectivitytogivecommunitiesdigitalplatformsforself-advocacy.SeveralexampleswerehighlightedwhereIndigenouscommunitieswereabletogetaroundgatekeeperstodeliverandaccesspoliticalcontent,andbuildonlinesupportforactivismmovementsandeffortstoprotectIndigenouslandsandrights.

Ø CultureandLanguagePreservation–Severalpanelsandpresentationsprovided

testimonialsofhowInternetconnectivitysupportedcultureandlanguagepreservationwithintheircommunities,suchasdigitizingculturalobjects,stories,songs,andceremoniesforstorageindigitallibraries.VariousspeakersalsonotedthebenefitsofInternetintermsoflanguagerevitalization,particularlyforthosethathavenowrittenform,througheducationalapps,videotutorials,andIndigenouslanguagekeyboards.

PresentershighlightedtheInternet’susefulnessasapublishingplatformtopromoteawarenessofIndigenousrightsissues,combatculturalstereotypes,andpromoteunderstandingaroundcontroversialculturalpractices.However,itwasalsonotedthatitisjustasimportanttoensureprotectedculturalorsacred“items”remainthatway.Thiscanbeachievedbyfocusingonnetworksecurity,datastorage/serverlocations,accesspermissions,andworkingwithElderstojudgewhatcontentisandisn’tappropriateforpublicaccess.

AnotheraspecttothisconversationwastheimpactoftheInternetoncultureandtradition.SeveralpresentersnotedthereticenceofsomecommunitymemberstoembracetheInternetforfearofhowitwillimpactthecommunity.Onepresenternoted

CommunityNetworksAtthesummit,ageneralconsensuswasreachedthatcommunitynetworksareanidealpathforIndigenouscommunitiestoempowerthemselvesanddrivetheirownconnectivitysolutions.TheIndigenousConnectivitySummithighlightedthepotentialofcommunitynetworkstoprovideInternetaccesswheretraditionalorcommercialnetworksdonotreachorserve,orwheretheymaynotbeeconomicallyviabletooperate.Theeventfeaturedpresentationsoncommunitynetworksofallshapesandsizes,includingdigitallibraryandeducation-basedorganizations,cooperatives,andnon-profitcorporationsthatbringarangeofconnectivityservicestotheareastheyserve.Speakerssharedimportantexperiencesrelatedtotheirsuccessesandthechallengesandopportunitiesoftakingconnectivityintotheirownhands.Acommunitynetworkisbuiltandoperatedbycitizenswhowanttoconnecttheirvillage,city,ortowntotheInternet.Theythriveonpeopleworkingtogether,combiningresources,organizingefforts,andconnectingthemselvestocloseconnectivityandculturalgaps.


thatcultureisalwayschanging,andbytakingownershipofconnectivitysolutionscommunitiescanworktogrowcultureinnewandhealthyways.

“Ifindtheword‘traditional’aloadedterm.Ittendstobeperceivedassomethingthatisfixedintime.Indigenouspeople,especiallyminewholivedintheArctic,aretechnologists.Theonlywaywesurvivedwasbyadapting.”MadelineRedfern,MayorofCityofIqaluit

Ø EconomicDevelopmentandEmployment–Presentersofferedabroadviewofthe

variouswaysconnectivitycangenerateeconomicbenefitsinIndigenouscommunities.Onestreamexploredtheeconomicopportunitiesthatcomethroughuseofnetworks,suchasentrepreneurshipandhomebusinessopportunities.Onepresentationnotedthatdespiteitsconnectivitychallenges,FacebookentrepreneurshipinCanada’sNunavutTerritorysupportstherevitalizationofculturalpracticesthroughthesaleoftraditionalitemstowidermarkets.

Speakersalsoexploredthebenefitsofmanaginganetworkandthejobsitcreateswithinacommunity.SeveralparticipantsnotedtheInternet’spotentialtohelpusersfindmoremeaningfulcareeropportunities,asopposedtolocalonesthatmaybedetrimentaltohealthandgoagainstIndigenousways.

“Theeconomicdevelopmentisnotjustfromusingtheinfrastructurebutaboutowningandoperatingit.”RobMcMahon,PhD,UniversityofAlberta

Ø HealthandWellbeing–Inanerawheretechnologicaladvancesarerevolutionizing

healthcaredeliveryandtranscendinggeographicalbarriers,lackofInternetconnectivitymaypreventIndigenouscommunitiesfromaccessingcriticalservices.GiventhedisparityinhealthoutcomesbetweenIndigenousandnon-Indigenouscommunities,severalpresentersviewedtelemedicineandhealthcaredeliveryasoneofthemostimportantbenefitsofconnectivity.Othersalsonotedtheprivacybenefitsofonlinementalhealthandwellnessservices.Whileconnectivitycanclearlyhelpsavelivesandimprovehealthoutcomes,presentershighlightedtheimportanceofduediligenceregardingnetworksecurity,andcarefullyreviewingfineprintandagreementsdealingwithaccessandownershipofhealthinformation.

Ø Education–Perhapsoneofthemostpromisingbenefitsofconnectivityisthe

opportunityforyouthintermsofeducationandemployment.Presenterssharedseveralexamplesinwhichconnectivityhelpedfacilitatedistanceeducationincommunitiesthatdidnothavehighschoolorpost-secondaryinstitutions.Theabilitytoaccesseducationwithinthecommunitymeantstudentscouldcompletetheirstudiesathomeandmaintainacriticalconnectionwiththeirfamily,community,andland.

Ø UniqueChallengestoIndigenousConnectivity–Delvingintothesuccessesof

IndigenouscommunitynetworksinNorthAmericaandabroadwasakeycomponentof


startingadialogueabouttheurgentneedtoensureallIndigenouscommunitiescangetconnectedtotheInternet.Likewise,thesummitalsoexaminedtheuniquechallengesofIndigenouscommunitiestohelpinspirecreativeandsustainableconnectivitysolutions.

Ø GeographyandLandUse–OneofthemainbarrierstoInternetserviceinruraland

remotecommunitiesisexpensiveinfrastructure,particularlyincommunitiesspanningvastlandmasseslikeCanada’sNorth.Right-of-wayprocessesandlandclaim-agreementsposeanotherchallenge,particularlywhereagreementsarestillundernegotiation.OneCanadianpresenternotedthedifficultlyofcreatingbroadconnectivitysolutionsforlargeareasthatinvolvedseveraldifferentFirstNationsbandsrepresentingdifferentneedsandpriorities.Similarly,somepresentersnotedmissedopportunitiesforcommunitydevelopmentduetoalackofcooperationamonginstitutionswhenonegetsfundingorpermissiontostartaninfrastructureconstructionproject.

Ø Regulatory/PolicyLandscape–NavigatingregulatoryandpolicylandscapesinNorth

Americaiscomplex,andvariestoalargedegreeonaspectslikegeography,technology,spectrum,andpoliticalentitiesinvolvedinacquiringvariouspermissionsforcommunitynetworks.AUSpanelistnotedthatoneoftheunderlyingchallengesisaregulatorypriorityofcompetition.HepointedoutthatoneofthehallmarksoftheFederalCommunicationsCommission’sTelecommunicationsActof1996isthefreemarketcompetitivetheoryideathatcompetitionwilldrivedeploymentandpushpriceofservicesdown.Whilethishasworkedincertaintriballands,ithasnotinmanyothers.

Ø TechnologyandSustainability–Therewasageneralconsensusamongspeakersthat

sustainabilityisoneofthemostcomplexchallengesforcommunitynetworks.Forsome,itisdirectlyrelatedtoalevelofinterest,educationopportunities,orredundancyrequiredtoensurenetworkcontinuity.Otherpresenterssaidtheystruggledtokeepupwithtechnologyascommunityneedsevolvedandrequiredgreateraccess.Financingisanothercommonchallengetosustainability.Severalpresentersnoteditisdifficulttoaccessfinancingfrombanksdueinparttolackofeducationabouttechnologyandthevalueofcommunitynetworkbusinessmodels.Whilealargenumberofuniversalserviceaccessandothergrantscanhelp,pursuingvariousfundingopportunitiesislengthyandcomplex,particularlyasmanycommunitynetworksdonothaveafull-timestaffpersondedicatedtotherole.

ICSRecommendationsforConnectingIndigenousCommunitiesICSpresenters,panelists,andparticipantsgeneratedawealthoftestimonialsprovingtheInternet'spotentialasapowerfultoolforchange.BydrawingattentiontouniqueconnectivitychallengesfacedbyIndigenouscommunitiesinNorthAmericaandabroad,theywerealsoabletoofferdiverserecommendationstohelpensureallcommunitiescangetconnected.


1. Creative,SustainableConnectivitySolutions–OneofthemostresoundingrecommendationsamongICSparticipantswastheimportanceoflong-termplanningtoensureasustainablecommunitynetwork.Assessingcurrentandfutureconnectivityneedsandincorporatingthemintothebusinessplanandtechnicalsolutionarecriticaltothefoundationofasuccessfulcommunitynetwork.Othersagreedanothercrucialaspecttolongevityismanaginganetworkasabusinessorganizationthatcanchampiontechnology,developstrategicplans,andensuresuccessionplanningwithinthecommunity.

“Thereisatechnicaltask,thereisapoliticalandregulatorytask,andthereisaneconomicandsustainabilitytask.Thosethreethingsneedtobeinharmonywitheachothertowork.”PeterBloom,Rhizomatica

2. FosteringanEnablingEnvironment–ICSparticipantsclearlydemonstratedthelink

betweenInternetaccessandsocialandeconomicdevelopment,particularlywhenIndigenouscommunitiesdeveloptheirownconnectivitysolutions.TohelpfosteranenablingenvironmentthatfacilitatesthecreationofmoreIndigenouscommunitynetworks,participantssuggestedtakingaresolutionontribalconnectivityissuestosenior-mostcouncilsandgovernmentofficialsintheUnitedStatesandCanada.ThiscouldalsobeanavenuetopromoteIndigenouscollaborationonissuesthatcrossboundariesandtribaldemarcations.Presentersunderlinedtheroleofallcitizenstohelppromoteanenablingenvironment.Thisincludessupportingeducationalopportunitieswithincommunities,advocatingforinfrastructuredevelopment,andparticipatingineventsandorganizationsthatcanpromotesupportivegovernanceandpolicies.

3. CapacityBuildingWithinCommunities–Communitynetworksoffertremendous

potentialintermsofeconomicdevelopmentandemploymentwithintheirregions.Buildingthetalentbasetorunandmaintainthenetworkin-houseiscrucialtothesustainabilityoftheorganization.Toencouragemorecommunitiesandcitizenstodeveloptheirownconnectivitysolutions,ICSparticipantsidentifiedtheneedformorecapacitybuildingopportunities.Thiscanincludedevelopingtoolkitsandresourcesforcommunitynetworkstart-ups,improvingaccesstoeducationopportunitiesandprogramsgearedtowardsbuildingandmaintainingcommunitynetworks,andpromotingopportunitiessuchasinternshipsthatcaninspireyouthtoconsidertechnologyasacareerpath.

4. EasierAccesstoSpectrum–FacilitatingIndigenousaccesstospectrumisanimportant

waytoempowercommunitiestodevelopconnectivitysolutions.Licensesaremarketableassetsthatcanhelpcommunitynetworkorganizationsgaincriticalaccesstofinancingandfundingopportunities.ICSparticipantshighlightedtheneedtore-examinespectrumandfrequencylicensepoliciestopromotemoreaccessbyIndigenouscommunities,particularlywithrespecttoserviceareascoveringIndigenouslands.Severalspeakersalsosuggestedthatpromotingtheoptionofsecondarymarket


negotiationsatfairmarketvaluecouldhelpIndigenouscommunitiesgainaccesstospectrumwhereacorporationalreadyholdsalicenseandeitherdoesnotprovideserviceorthequalityisverypoor.

5. Collaborative,Future-ProofBackhaulSolutions–TheInternetandhowweuseitare

constantlyevolving.Whendevelopingconnectivitysolutionstoruralandremoteareas,itiscriticalconsideraregion'spresentandfutureneedstobuildfunctional,robust,andreliableinfrastructuresolutionsthatcanstandthetestoftime.ICSparticipantsurgedgovernmentsinNorthAmericantoreiteratetheircommitmentto“universalservice”byenhancingsupportforinitiativesthatconnectanchorinstitutionsandruralandremoteregionsandkeyfacilities.Thiscanbeachievedthroughcollaborativepartnershipsandaccesstosustainablefundingopportunities.Topromoteconnectivityinfrastructureinitiativescoveringlargelandareas,participantshighlightedthevalueofpartnershipsamongIndigenouscommunities,organizations,andcorporationswithsimilarneedstohelpaccessfundingopportunitiesandcreateeconomiesofscale.

6. ResearchIsIntegraltoMeasuringProgress–WhilethenumeroustestimonialsofICS

presentersandparticipantsprovidedaglimpseoftheuniquebenefitsandchallengesofIndigenousconnectivityinNorthAmerica,participantsnotedalackofresearchandmetricstomeasureprogress.ItwassuggestedthatInternetSocietyoranothernon-profitorganizationoreducationalinstitutiontakeonaroletocollectdatarelatedtoconnectivityinIndigenouscommunitiesinordertobetteranalyzesuccessesandareasforimprovement.


5.0 PROVIDINGHIGHSPEEDINTERNETSERVICETORURAL,REMOTE,ANDINDIGENOUSCOMMUNITIES

5.1 FEDERALANDPROVINCIALPLANSTOEXTENDHIGH-SPEEDINTERNETSERVICE

Theimportanceofhigh-speedInternetaccessforruralcommunitiesthroughoutCanadahasbeenidentifiedbythefederalgovernment,aswellassomeprovincialgovernments.Policiesandprogramsdesignedtoextendaccesstoruralandremoteareas,includingmanyIndigenouscommunities,aredescribedhere.100PercentConnectivityInMarch,thefederalgovernmentearmarkedbetween$5billionand$6billioninnewinvestmentsoverthenextdecadeforaplantomakesure95percentofCanadianhomesandbusinesseswillhaveaccesstohigh-speedInternetby2026.Initiallyin2014,ConnectingCanadianswaslaunched.Itwasafive-year,$240-millionprogram.Itallocatedfundingforprojectstoinstallthe“last-mile”connectionfor280,000householdsthatdidnothaveaccesstoInternetspeedsof5megabitspersecond(Mbps)fordownloadingdataand1Mbpsforuploadingdata(5/1Mbps).In2016,theCRTC(CanadianRadio-televisionandTelecommunicationsCommission)declaredbroadbandInternetabasictelecommunicationsservice.Initsruling,thenationalregulatororderedthecountry'sInternetproviderstobeginworkingtowardboostingInternetserviceandspeedsinruralandisolatedareas."Thefutureofoureconomy,ourprosperityandoursociety—indeed,thefutureofeverycitizen—requiresustosetambitiousgoals,andtogetonwithconnectingallCanadiansforthe21stcentury,"saidJean-PierreBlais,theCRTC'schair.Untilthispoint,locallandlinetelephoneservicewastheonlyservicedeemed"basic"oressentialbytheCRTC,althoughBlaishaspreviouslycalledInternetservice"vital"andessentialtolifeandsuccess.Withtheruling,theCRTCsetnewtargetsforInternetserviceproviderstooffercustomersinallpartsofthecountrydownloadspeedsofatleast50megabitspersecond(Mbps)anduploadspeedsofatleast10Mbps,andtoalsooffertheoptionofunlimiteddata.TheCRTCestimatestwomillionCanadianhouseholds,orroughly18percent,don'thaveaccesstothosespeedsordata.TheCRTC'sgoalistoreducethatto10percentby2021anddowntozerointhenext10to15years.Toachievethat,theCRTCwillrequireproviderspayintoafundthat'ssettogrowto$750millionoverfiveyears.Thecompanieswillbeableto


dipintothatfundtohelppayfortheinfrastructureneededtoextendhigh-speedservicetoareaswhereitisnotcurrentlyavailable.Thefundissimilartoonethatsubsidizedtheexpansionoflocallandlinetelephoneserviceinyearspast.Providersusedtopay0.53percentoftheirrevenues,excludingbroadband,intothatfund.Nowthey'llpaythesamerateonallrevenues,includingbroadband.FederalInitiativestoProvideAccesstoHigh-SpeedInternetforAllCanadiansTheGovernmentofCanadahascommittedtoachievinguniversalbroadbandInternetcoverageandaddressingthegapsthatpredominatelyexistinruralandnorthernareas.ThefederalgovernmentstatedthatfastandreliableInternetaccessisnolongeraluxury—it’sanecessity.Internetaccessservesismorethanjustaconvenience:itisanessentialmeansbywhichcitizens,businesses,andinstitutionsaccessinformation,offerservices,andcreateopportunitiesthatcouldotherwisebeoutofreach.ExpandedservicewillmeanthatCanadianswillhavetheopportunitytoinnovateandparticipateinoureconomy,democracy,andwayoflifeusingnewdigitaltoolsandcutting-edgeservicesliketele-healthandtele-learning.Governmentreasonedthatforpublicinstitutions,entrepreneurs,andbusinessesofallsizes,qualityhigh-speedInternetisessentialtoparticipatinginthedigitaleconomy—openingdoorstocustomerswholivejustdownthestreetorontheothersideoftheworld.ItisalsoimportantinthelivesofCanadians.Itletsstudentsandyoungpeopledotheirhomework,stayintouchwiththeirfriends,andapplyfortheirveryfirstjobs.Ithelpsbusyfamiliesregisterforrecreationalprograms,shoponlineandpaytheirbillsandaccessessentialservices.Formanyseniors,theInternetisawaytostayuponcurrenteventsandstayconnectedtodistantfamilymembersandfriends.Canadianshaveastrongtraditionofembracingnewtechnologies,andusingthemtohelpgeneratelong-termeconomicgrowthanddrivesocialprogress.Inrecentyears,CanadaandCanadiancompaniesbuiltmobilewirelessnetworksthatareamongthefastestintheworldandmadeinvestmentsthataredeliveringnext-generationdigitaltechnologiesandservicestopeopleandcommunitiesacrossthecountry.Yet,unfortunately,manyCanadiansstillremainwithoutreliable,high-speedInternetaccess.Inthistimeinthe21stCentury,thisisunacceptable.

ConnecttoInnovate

Withitsbudgetin2016,theGovernmentlaunchedthe$500millionConnecttoInnovateprogram.Throughtheprogram,thefederalgovernmentcommittedtoextendhigh-speedInternetaccesstomorethan900ruralandremotecommunities,and380,000households.Thatincludes190IndigenouscommunitiesacrossCanada.Inthesecommunities,


challenginggeographyandsmallerpopulationspresentbarrierstoprivatesectorinvestmentinbuilding,operating,andmaintaininginfrastructure.ConnecttoInnovateisinlinewiththeGovernmentofCanada’svision,articulatedinBudget2016,tobuildCanadaasaglobalcentreofinnovation,onethatfocusesonstrengtheningthemiddleclassbycreatingjobs,drivinggrowthacrossallindustries,andimprovingthelivesofallCanadians.

Sincethelaunchoftheprogramin2016,morethan$450millioninfundinghasbeenapprovedforover180projects,withfurtherinvestmentsof$554millionfromtheprivatesectorandotherordersofgovernment.Oncecomplete,theseprojectswilladdmorethan20,000kilometresofadvancedfibrenetworksacrossthecountry.Fromhomesandschoolstohospitalsandcommunitycentres,thisinvestmentwillhelpdeliverbetterconnectivitytomorethanthreetimesthenumberofcommunitiesoriginallyexpectedtobehelpedbythisprogram.Itisestimatedthatbythetimeallcurrentlyplannedbroadbandprogramsareinplaceby2021,about90percentofCanadianswillhavereliableaccesstoInternetspeedsof50megabitspersecond(Mbps)fordownloadingdataand10Mbpsforuploadingdata(alsoknownas50/10Mbps).However,evenwith90percentofCanadianscovered,about1.5millionCanadianhouseholdswillstillbeunderserved.ThefundingforConnecttoInnovateisdirectedtonewbackboneinfrastructure.Buildingthisinfrastructureisthemodernequivalentofbuildingroadsorrailwayspursintoruralandremoteareas,connectingthemtotheglobaleconomy.Thisbackboneinfrastructureisoftenfibreoptic-based,butcanbecomprisedofarangeoftechnologiesincludingmicrowaveandsatelliteservice.

Althoughthefocusoftheprogramisonnewbackboneinfrastructure,duringextensiveconsultationsstakeholdersidentifiedadditionalneedsthatwarranteligibility.Assuch,eligibilityincludedbackbonecapacityupgradesandresiliency,aswellaslast-mileinfrastructureprojectstohouseholdsandbusinesses.

• Capacityupgradeswereneededinsomecommunitiesthatalreadyhaveaccesstofibreopticsbutthenetworkisoutmodedandbecomingcongested.Resiliencyprojectswerealsoeligibletoincludetheconstructionoffibreloopextensionstohelpmitigatetheimpactofaccidentalfibrecutsinruralandremoteareas.

• AportionofConnecttoInnovateprogramfundsalsosupport"last-mile"connectivityprojectstohouseholds,atspeedsofatleast5Megabitspersecond(Mbps),wheregapscontinuetopersist.Last-mileinfrastructurebringsInternetaccessfromthebackbonetoenduserslikehouseholdsorsmallbusinessesthroughfamiliarwiredorwirelesstechnologies,suchascable,digitalsubscriberline(DSL),fixedwireless,orsatellite.Withoutadequatelast-mileinfrastructure,Canadianconsumersandbusinessesarenot


abletotakeadvantageofthebackboneinfrastructurethatmayalreadyexistinacommunity

Budget2019Commitments:AchievingaFullyConnectedCanadaInBudget2019,theGovernmentcommittedtoamoreambitionsnationaltarget,inwhich95percentofCanadianhomesandbusinesseswillhaveaccesstoInternetspeedsofatleast50/10Mbpsby2026and100percentby2030,nomatterwheretheyarelocatedinthecountry.ThisisinkeepingwiththebroadbandInternetspeedobjectivesetbytheCRTCforCanadianhouseholdsandbusinessesacrossCanada.Deliveringuniversalhigh-speedInternettoeveryCanadianinthequickestandmostcost-effectivewaywillrequireacoordinatedeffortinvolvingpartnersintheprivatesectorandacrossalllevelsofgovernment.Tomeetthiscommitment,Budget2019proposedanew,coordinatedplanthatwoulddeliver$5billionto$6billioninnewinvestmentsinruralbroadbandover10years:

• SupportthroughtheAcceleratedInvestmentIncentivetoencouragegreaterinvestmentsinruralhigh-speedInternetfromtheprivatesector.

• Greatercoordinationwithprovinces,territories,andfederalarm’s-lengthinstitutions,suchastheCRTCandits$750millionrural/remotebroadbandfund.

• SecuringadvancedLowEarthOrbitsatellitecapacitytoservethemostruralandremoteregionsofCanada.

• NewinvestmentsintheConnecttoInnovateprogramandintroductionoftheGovernment’snewUniversalBroadbandFund.

• NewinvestmentsbytheCanadaInfrastructureBanktofurtherleverageprivatesectorinvestment.CurrentandProposedAccesstoHigh-SpeedInternetofatLeast50/10MbpsinCanada


WorkingCloselyWithPartnersThefederalgovernmentiscommittedtocontinueworkingwithjurisdictionsacrossCanada,Indigenouspartners,andtheprivatesectortoenhanceconnectivityandtosupportCanadiansfullparticipationinthedigitaleconomy.Thisincludesadvancingtherecentintergovernmentalagreementbetweenthefederal,provincial,andterritorialgovernmentstodevelopalong-termstrategyandjoined-upapproachtoimproveaccesstohigh-speedInternetforallCanadians.Provincesandterritoriesarealsomovingforwardandmakingtheirownimportantinvestmentstohelpimproveandexpandaccesstohigh-speedInternet.Forexample:

• Inits2019budget,theGovernmentofBritishColumbiaannounced$50milliontoexpandhigh-speedInternetservicetomorethan200communitiesintheprovince.

• InJulyof2019,theOntariogovernmentannounceda$315millionplanwhichaimsistoimprovedigitalconnectivityforupto220,000homesandbusinessesinruralcommunities.Theplanfeaturesa$150millioninvestmentforanewbroadbandfundwhichwillleverageprivatesectorfundingalongwithsupportfromotherlevelsofgovernment,todriveinvestmenttoruralcommunities.Theplanisexpectedtogenerateupto$1billionintotalinvestmentoverfiveyears,somethingtheprovincesayswillresultincommunity,socialandeconomicbenefits.

TohelpeveryCanadiangainaccesstohigh-speedInternetatminimumspeedsof50/10Mbps,Budget2019proposestoinvestupto$1.7billioninnewly-targetedinitiativesthatwillsupportuniversalhigh-speedInternetinrural,remoteandnortherncommunities.Theseinvestmentswouldinclude:• Upto$1.7billionover13years,startingin2019–20,toestablishanewnationalhigh-

speedInternetprogram,theUniversalBroadbandFund.TheFundwouldbuildonthesuccessoftheConnecttoInnovateprogram,andwouldfocusonextending“backbone”infrastructuretounderservedcommunities.

• Includedinthe$1.7billioncommitmenttotheUniversalBroadbandFund,theGovernmentwilllooktotop-uptheConnecttoInnovateprogramandtosecureadvanced,new,low-latencyLowEarthOrbitsatellitecapacity.Thisprocesswillbelaunchedinthespring2019andwillhelpbringreliablehigh-speedInternetaccesstoeventhemostchallengingruralandremotehomesandcommunitiesinCanada.

• Inthe2018FallEconomicStatement,thefederalgovernmentintroducedthe

AcceleratedInvestmentIncentive—anacceleratedcapitalcostallowancedesignedtoencouragebusinessestoinvestandcreatemoregood,well-payingjobs.Theincentiveisavailabletobusinessesofallsizes,acrossallsectorsoftheeconomy,includingthetelecommunicationssector.Todate,telecommunicationscompanieshavesignaledmorethan$1billionworthofprivatesectoractivity,focusedonprovidingbetterInternet


accesstounservedorunderservedcommunities.TheAcceleratedInvestmentIncentiveisalsoexpectedtoenhancecompetitivenessandhelpacceleratethedeploymentofnext-generationdigitaltechnologies,suchas5Gconnectivity,acrossthecountry.

• Aspreviouslysated,theCRTCalsorecentlylauncheditsownfive-year$750million

BroadbandFundtoimproveInternetaccessinunderservedareas.TheCRTC’sBroadbandFundalignswiththeGovernment’sprioritiesandwillincludeafocusonprovidinglast-mileconnectivityandprovisionofwirelesscoverageinunservedareas,andwhereprojectsarenotfinanciallyviablewithoutCRTCfunding.

• Upto$11.5millionoverfiveyears,startingin2019–20,willbeprovidedfortwo

StatisticsCanadasurveystomeasurehouseholdaccessanduseoftheInternetandbusinessonlinebehaviour.ThiswillenhanceunderstandingofhowdigitalissuesareimpactingCanadians,andhelpinformnextsteps.

• InpartnershipwiththeGovernment,theCanadaInfrastructureBankisexamining

opportunitiestoapplyitsinnovativefinancingtoolstostimulateprivatesectorinvestmentinhigh-speedInternetinfrastructureinunservedandunderservedcommunities.Workingtomaximizethecontributionofprivatecapital,thebankwillseektoinvest$1billionoverthenext10years,andleverageatleast$2billioninadditionalprivatesectorinvestmenttoincreasebroadbandaccessforCanadians.Inhelpingtomakepubliclyfundeddollarsgofurther,theBankwillcontributetoCanada’slong-termambitionofbringinghigh-speedInternettoeveryCanadian.

• InJuly2019,thefederalgovernmentannouncedaplantoinvest$100millionoverfive

yearsintoLow-Earth-OrbitSatellitestohelpruralandremoteareasgainaccesstoreliable,high-speedInternet.ThecompanyTelesathasbeendevelopingasatelliteconstellation,agroupofco-ordinatedsatellitesitsayswillprovidehigh-speedconnectivityinruralandremotecommunitiesaroundtheglobe.Telesatsaiditsstate-of-the-artsatelliteconstellationwillinvolvelaunchinghighly-advancedsatellitesintolowEarthorbit,about1,000kmfromthesurfaceoftheplanet,muchcloserthantraditionalsatellites.Thesatelliteswillseamlesslyintegratewithterrestrialnetworks.


WhereIsRuralHighSpeedNeededGovernmenthasmappedcommunitiesandruralareaswherehigh-speedInternetaccessislimitedornon-existent.ThefollowingmapshowsthenumberofcommunitiesthroughoutCanadawithouthighspeedInternet(bluedots)andareaswithout50/10Mbpsfixedbroadbandaccess.


5.2 BROADBANDINRURALAREA:SOMEBESTPRACTICESAnumberofruralcommunitiesareusinggovernmentsupportstoachievehigherlevelsofconnectivity.Othersaretakingtheinitiativetoprovidetheirownpublicallyownedservice.Insomecases,Indigenous-ownedcompaniesareengagedininstallingandprovidingservicesfortheirownpeople.Severalexamplesareprovidedhere.ConnectingRuralandRemoteFirstNationsCommunitiesinManitobaAcombinedinvestmentof$83.9millionannouncedinJanuary2018isenabling109ruralandremotecommunitiesinManitobatogetonlineandaccesshigh-speedInternet.Ofthese109communities,48areFirstNationsand21arelocatedinregionswithoutyear-roundroadaccess.(Theaveragecostpercommunity/institutionis$780,000.)Ofthe$83.9millioninvestedinManitoba:

• $43.7millionwillcomefromtheConnecttoInnovateprogram;• $3.5millionwillcomefromIndigenousServicesCanada;• $20millionwillcomeasanin-kindcontributionfromtheGovernmentofManitoba;

and• $16.7millionwillcomefromothercontributors.

Thecompaniesreceivingfundingare:

• WekitowakCommunications:$33.5milliontoprovide72communities,including37FirstNationscommunitiesofwhich18arelocatedinremoteregionsofnorthernManitoba,and88institutionswithaccesstohigh-speedInternetservicesthatisonparwithsouthernurbanareas.Theaveragecostofconnectionis$210,000.

• ValleyFiberLimited:$10.3milliontoimprovehigh-speedInternetservicefor24communitiesand21institutions.Theaveragecostofconnectionis$228,000.

• BellMTS:$2.7milliontoimproveconnectivityforeightcommunities,ofwhichsixareFirstNations,andnineinstitutionsinNortheasternManitoba.Theaveragecostofconnectionis$158,000.

• BroadbandCommunicationsNorth:$673,000toimproveconnectivityforatotalofsixunderservedcommunities,ofwhichfiveareFirstNations.Theaveragecostofconnectionis$112,000.

TheGovernmentofManitoba’s$20millionin-kindcontributionisforWekitowakCommunicationstoaccessandutilizeManitobaHydro’sestablishedfibreopticcablenetworkandrelatedassetstoprovideincreasedbroadbandconnectiontoFirstNationsaswellasruralandnorthernManitobacommunities.TheWekitowakCommunicationsprojectwillgiveFirstNationscommunitiesinnorthernManitobatheopportunitytoown,operate,andcontroltheirownbroadbandnetworks.


Ofthe$43.7millioninConnecttoInnovatefunding,$38.5millionisforbackbonenetworksthatwillbringfibretothemajorityofthe109communities,connectinstitutionsandindirectlyimproveInternetconnectionsforanestimated19,000households,while$5.17millionisgoingtobeusedtodirectlyconnect4,150underservedhouseholdsthatcannotcurrentaccessserviceof5Mbps.

InaseparateannouncementinJuly2018,threeorganizationssaidtheywillpartnerinajointventuretobringhighspeedinternetviaafibreopticnetworktoruraltownsand63FirstNationsinManitoba.Thenewpartnershipwillseethethreegroups—DistinctInfrastructureGroup,ClearSkyConnections,andBroadbandCommunicationsNorth—partnerinafor-profitcorporationknownasClearSkyIndigenousNetwork.ClearSkyisownedby63FirstNationsinManitoba.

BroadbandCommunicationsNorthisoneofthepartnersinthenewventure.Itisanon-profitcommunity-drivennetworkaimedatimprovingbroadbandservicesinFirstNationscommunitiesinManitoba.

XplornetCommunications’BroadbandNetworkExpansion

InMarch2019,XplornetCommunicationsannounceditwouldinvest$500millionoverfiveyearstoexpanditsnationalbroadbandnetworkacrossCanada.ThisinvestmentwillhelpXplornetdeliverhigh-speedservicesinruralandremotecommunitiesonthesametimelineasinCanada'slargestcities.

Xplornet'sexpansiontakesadvantageofthefederalgovernment’sAcceleratedInvestmentIncentive.Byallowingbusinessestowriteoffalargershareoftheircostsintheyearaninvestmentismade,theIncentivemakesitmoreattractiveforbusinessesofallsizestoinvestinassetsthathelpdrivebusinessgrowthandcreatemorejobs.

UndertheAcceleratedInvestmentIncentive,capitalinvestmentsaregenerallyeligibleforafirst-yeardeductionfordepreciationequaltouptothreetimestheamountthatwouldotherwiseapplyintheyearanassetisputinuse—reducingriskandprovidingbusinessesinCanadawithatrueincentivetomakecapitalinvestments.

TownofViking,AlbertaPeopleinandaroundVikingareabletoconnecttotheworldmorequicklynowthatthetownhasbecomeitsownhigh-speedInternetprovider.InJune2019,thetowninstalledanInternetantennaonalocalgrainelevator,allowingresidentstosignupforhigh-speedInternetathomebypayinganaddedfeeontheirbi-monthlywaterutilitybill.


Thetown,about135kmsoutheastofEdmonton,decidedtomaketheswitchaftergrowingfrustratedwiththeslowpaceofgovernmentinitiativesandthehighcostofprivateproviders.A2018reportfromServiceAlbertapromisedtodevelopaprovincialbroadbandstrategyforAlbertabytheendoftheyear,butnoplanhadbeenprovided.Thesamereportfoundthatfewerthan13percentofcommunitiesinAlbertahavesufficientlyfasthigh-speedInternet.SomeresidentsinVikingcurrentlyhaveanInternetdownloadspeedof5Mbps.Thetownofficepilotedthenewhigh-speedserviceatarateupto20timesfaster.TheantennaislocatedontheProvidencegrainelevator,thehighestpointinthesmallcommunity.Itcanbeviewed10kmfromtownandanyonewhocanseetheelevatorwillbeabletoconnecttotheservice,includingthosewholiveoutsidethetown.TheproposalforVikingtoinstallitsowninfrastructurecamefromNutecElectroTel,theCamrose-basedITcompanythetownrecentlyhired.ThetownwillbuybandwidthdirectlyfromAxiaBellatacostof$800permonth.Infrastructurecostswerealsominimal,sincethetownlibraryhadalreadyinstalledfibreopticcablesaspartofaninitiativetobringhigh-speedtorurallibraries.Ataminimalcost,thenewservicecouldmeananeconomicboostforthecommunity."Businessesarelookingforthathighspeed,andbusinessesneedthathighspeed.Sothat'sjustonemoreattractiontomovetothetownofViking,"saidthetown’sadministrator."Ourdownloadspeedsareapproaching100megabits,whichisphenomenalouthere.Inthecitythat'soldhat,butforusit'smajor." ConnectingManitobaProposalConnectingManitobaInc.(CM)isafor-profit,equalpartnershipbetweenBroadbandCommunicationsNorthInc.(BCN)andVoyageurInternetInc.BothcompaniesareIndigenously-ownedandareheadquarteredinWinnipeg,MB.VoyageurisaMétis-ownedcompany.InJune2017,CMproposedanintegratedfixedwireless/fibreopticbroadbandsolutionforManitoba’snorthandremotecommunitiesbecauseitiscosteffectiveandachievableby2021.ConnectingManitobacollaboratedwithClearSkyConnections(Nanaandawewigamig)toproposea$112MillionintegratednetworkthatwillbringhighspeedInternetto55,000people,50+remotecommunities,12,000householdsandover500anchorinstitutions.FundingapplicationswerefiledwithISED’sConnecttoInnovateProgram.


CMsubstantiallyperformed“DutytoConsult”potentialFirstNationClientsandisofferinganequityopportunitytoFirstNationclients.BCNalreadyserves52FirstNationsinManitobaviafibre,fixedwireless,andsatellitemethods.Anintegratednetworkisessentialtoreachremotecommunitiesinlessthan5years,giventhatfibreconnectingallManitobaFirstNationswouldtake10–15yearsandcostover$500MillionTheproposedsystemwouldusefixedwirelesstowerstocomplementfibrecable.Fixedtowersare9-10timesmoreaffordablethanfibrecableand5timesfastertodeploy.

• Fixedwirelesstowersare“mobile”andcanberepurposed.

• Fixedwirelessnetworkcandeliver25Mbpsdownloadspeedsupgradableto100Mbps

• 100%ofbuildingsinacommunitywillbeconnected

• FixedwirelesstowersprovideWi-Fi“Hotspots”alongall-seasonandwinterroadbuildroutes.

Themapsshowthefourregionsthatwouldreceiveservice.

Bottommap:CentralEastProposedNetworkYellow=FibreCableBlue=FixedWireless

Topmap:ProposedIntegratedFibre/FixedWirelessNetwork:4MajorRegions+Proposed2ndPhaseFibre


VoyageurInternet–AMétis-OwnedServiceProviderVoyageurInternetisspecializesinprovidinghigh-speedInternetaccesstocommunitiesbydeliveringhighcapacityconnections.ItsextensiveurbanandruralnetworkwentliveonDecember24th,1998.Thecompanyhasexpandeditsnetworkusingunique,patentedinfrastructure.Itsteamtakesahands-onapproachtobusiness,ensuringVoyageurInternetdeliversthebestpossiblecustomersupportforitsusers.Experiencedskilledtechniciansensurethatthenetworksupplieswhatcustomersrequire,whetherstandardresidential,complexindustrial,callcentreconfigurations,orremotefarmstead.Modernfamiliesandhouseholdscaneasilybeusingadozendevicesatthesametime—tablets,desktops,TV’s,laptops—allrequiringaspeedy,consistentandtrouble-freeInternetconnection.Andbusinessescanbeusingfarmore.VoyageurInternethasbuiltastrongnetworkwithcuttingedgetechnology,professionalinstallersandcompetitiveratesandfeatures.Thecompanyiscurrentlyexpandingitstowerlocationstobringbetterservicetomorehouseholdsthanever.

VoyageurInternet’sExistingServiceArea


6.0 CREATINGAHIGH-SPEEDINTERNETACCESSPLANFORRURALANDREMOTEMÉTISCOMMUNITIES

6.1 THESTATUSOFRURALMÉTISCOMMUNITESResearchconductedfortheMétisNationalCouncilearlyin2019summarizedthestatusofruralandremotecommunitiesinCanadaingeneral,andalsoconsideredthecaseofMétiscommunitiesinthiscategory.Howarethesecommunitiesfairing?Whataretherefutureprospects?Thereport,EnhancingtheEconomicandBusinessInfrastructureofRuralandRemoteMétisCommunities—AnEnvironmentalScan,foundthatwhiletheviabilityofmanyruralareashasdeclinedoverthepastcentury,thesecommunitiesalsohaveuniqueassetsthatcanbetappedtoenhancetheirsocialandeconomicdevelopmentpotential.• Rural,remoteandnorthern-Asindicated

inthismap,mostofCanada’slandmass—andmuchoftheMétishomeland—canbeclassifiedasruraland/orremote.Theredlineindicatesthedividebetweenwhatisconsideredthe“North”andsouthernCanada.Northerncommunitiesaregenerallyconsideredruraland/orremote.Manycommunitiesabovetheredlineareinaccessiblebyroadandlacktelecommunicationsinfrastructurethatiscommonplacebelowtheline.

• Outmigration–Canadahasbecomealargelyurbannation.Between1851and2011,ruralpopulationdroppedfrom90%to18.9%ofthetotalpopulation.Ruralareashaveexperiencedamajorproblemofout-migration,primarilyamongyoungpeople.Youngpeoplemigratetocitiesforhighereducation,betteremploymentopportunities,andbroaderlifestylechoices.Programstoretainyouthinruralareashavehadlimitedsuccess,withtheexceptionofareaswithlargeresourceprojects,suchasFortMcMurray,Alberta.

Urbanizationhascontinuedinrecentyearsataslowrate.From2007to2017,theurbanproportionofthepopulationhasincreasedby1%.

BUILDING A RESILIENT AND PROSPEROUS NORTHCentre for the North Five-Year Compendium Report

Find this report and other Conference Board research at www.e-library.ca 8

Over the past two decades, the North has been an important driver of

growth in the Canadian economy, being home to many of the nation’s

new natural resource development projects. These developments, mostly

in non-renewable resources such as oil and gas, metals, and minerals,

have increased the wealth of Canadians nationwide. The slowdown

in global commodity demand will do more than apply pressure on the

national economic outlook; it will also challenge the sustainability of

Canada’s approach to developing these resources.

Exhibit 1Canada’s North

YTNT

NU

BC

ABSK

MB

ON

QC

NL

The Centre’s working definition of Canada’s North includes the territories and the northern extents of seven provinces. The North/South boundary line was selected based on Statistics Canada’s defined economic regions and census divisions. The resulting line corresponds closely to the definition of the North used by the Northern Development Ministers Forum. Sources: The Conference Board of Canada; Statistics Canada; Northern Development Ministers Forum.


• Anagingruralpopulation–Whileyouthleaveruralareas,thepopulationofseniorshasbeenontherise.ThedemographicsinruralCanadaareshiftingwithanincreasedproportionoftheagingpopulationandadecreaseoftheyoungerpopulation.

• Someruralcommunitiesaregrowing–Whileruralpopulationsaredecliningingeneral,someruralcommunitiesaregrowing.Theseincludethoseclosetocities,incottage-countryandotherdesirableretirementlocations,northernareaswithhigherIndigenousbirthrates,andinafewareaswithresourcedevelopmentontherise.

• RuraldeclinereflectedinMétiscommunities–Métiscommunitiesaresubjecttothesameforcesthatimpactruralandremotecommunitiesingeneral.WhileMétispeoplearemovingtourbanareas,alargerpotionoftheMétispopulationisrural.Justfewerthan40%ofMétisliveoutsideofmetropolitanareasofatleast30,000.Conversely,62.6%oftheMétispopulationlivesinametropolitanareaofatleast30,000people.

OtherrelevantMétispopulationcharacteristics• The2016CensusshowedthattheMétispopulationisgrowingfasterthanthatofthe

generalCanadianpopulation.

• TheMétispopulationcontinuestobesignificantlyyoungerthanthenon-Indigenouspopulation,withproportionallymorechildrenandyouthandfewerseniors.However,theMétispopulationisaging.In2016,those65yearsofageandolderaccountedforalargershareoftheMetispopulationthaninthepast.

ForMétis,22.3%ofthepopulationwas14yearsofageoryounger,comparedwith8.7%whowere65yearsofageandolder.

• TwomainfactorshavecontributedtothegrowingMétispopulation:thefirstisnaturalgrowth,whichincludesincreasedlifeexpectancyandrelativelyhighfertilityrates;thesecondfactorrelatestochangesinself-reportedidentification.Putsimply,morepeoplearenewlyidentifyingasMétisonthecensus—acontinuationofatrendovertime.However,notallthosewhoself-identifyasMétisarerecognizedassuchbytheMétisNation.

• Ingeneral,Métispeoplehavelowereducationalattainmentandlowerincomesthannon-IndigenousCanadians,suggestinginparttheimpactofahigherportionofthepopulationlivinginruralareasandalsounderliningtheneedforadditionalsupportsforeconomicdevelopment.

• Métispeopleareentrepreneurial.In2017,14%or40,260employedMétiswereself-employed.Aboutathirdofself-employedMétishademployees.ForruralMétis


entrepreneurs,accesstohigh-speedInternetisafactorinthecontinuedviabilityoftheirbusiness.ResearchonMétisbusinessdevelopmentconductedin2015showedthatlackofinfrastructure,suchashigh-speedInternet,wasalimitingfactorinthesuccessandexpansionofruralMétisbusinesses.

• In2017,most(93%)MétishaveaccesstotheInternetathome.However,fewerMétis

inruralareashadInternetaccessathome(88%),thanthoseinsmall(93%),medium(94%),andlargepopulationcentres(95%).Inruralareas,slowInternetspeedaffectthebenefitsthatcouldbeobtainedfromInternetuse.

• Internetaccessvariedacrossagegroups,as98%ofyoungMétishadInternetaccess,

comparedto95%ofcoreworkingageMétis,and86%ofolderMétis.• Eightyonepercent(81%)ofMétisusedasmartphone,tablet,orotherwirelessdevice

toaccesstheInternetinthemonthprevioustoa2017StatisticsCanadasurvey.AgreaterpercentageofMétiswithauniversitydegree(93%),comparedtothosewithlessthanahighschooldiploma(56%),usedamobiledevicetoaccesstheInternet.

• AsurveyofMétisentrepreneurs

conductedin2017indicatedthatmost(59%)Métisentrepreneursoperateout oftheirhome,indicatingtheimportance ofwidespreadavailabilityofhigh-speedInternetaccess.

InternetConnectivityandMétisNationPrioritiesIn2017,theGovernmentofCanadaandtheMétisNationsignedtheCanada-MétisNationAccord.Inthisagreement,bothpartiescommittedtoworktogetheronadvancingjointpolicyobjectivesandmakingrealprogresstoimprovesocio-economicoutcomesforMétispeople.BuildingonthesignificantinvestmentsalreadymadetosupportMétisNationprioritiesintheareasofhousing,skillsandtraining,earlylearningandchildcare,andgovernancecapacity,Budget2019continuedthisprogressonMétisNationpriorities,including:

• $362millionover10yearstosupportaMétisNation-ledpost-secondaryeducationstrategy.

• $30milliontorecognizethecontributionofMétisveteranstothecountry’sSecondWorldWareffortsandtocommemoratethesacrificesandachievementsofallMétisveterans.

8

Business Location The majority of respondents (59%) report having a home-based business in 2016 and nearly all are located off-reserve. Business location is consistent with ABS study results.

ABS comparison

Business Location Current Study ABS Results

% %

On reserve 1% 3%

Off reserve 99% 97%

C4: In 2016, did this business primarily operate from your home or from the home of another business owner if it is a partnership? Base: All respondents, n=202. C6: In 2016, was this business located on a First Nations reserve? Base: All respondents, n=202.

1%

99%

Business located onFirst Nations reserve

Business locatedelsewhere59%

41%

Location

Home-based business

Operated business atanother location


• Supportforadistinctions-basedapproachtoIndigenouslanguagerevitalizationprojectswith$333.7millionoverfiveyearstopreserve,promote,andrevitalizeIndigenouslanguages,includingMichif.

• $50millionoverfiveyearstoenhancethefundingoftheMétisCapitalCorporationstosupportthestart-upandexpansionofMétissmallandmedium-sizedenterprises,andupto$100milliontoestablishanIndigenousGrowthFundtofurtherencourageinvestmentsinIndigenous-ledbusinessesbyAboriginalFinancialInstitutions,includingMétisCapitalCorporations.

Ineachcase,theseinitiativeswouldbeenhancedbythepresenceofhigh-speedInternetinruralcommunities.TheHon.BernadetteJordanisministerofthenewlycreatedMinistryofRuralEconomicDevelopment,whichoverseesdeploymentofruralbroadband.MinisterJordan’sletterofAugust12,2019toClementChartier,PresidentoftheMétisNationalCouncil,reiteratesthefederalgovernment’scommitmenttoprovidingaccesstoaffordablehigh-speedInternet,notingthatthisstrategybuildsontheCanada-MétisNationAccordandtheMétisNationEconomicDevelopmentStrategy.CurrentprojectsunderwayundertheConnecttoInnovatestrategyshowanumberofprojectstargetingFirstNationscommunities.However,thereiscurrentlynospecificplanaimedatensuringservicetoruralcommunitieswithsignificantMétispopulations.


6.2 MAPPINGSERVICENEEDSINMÉTISCOMMUNITIESFollowingareaseriesofmapsthatprovideanoverviewofInternetservicegapsintheMétisnation.ThemapsindicatethathighspeedInternetserviceislackinginmanyruralareaswithsignificantMétispopulations.ServiceGapMapThefirstmapshowsthenumberofcommunitiesthroughouttheMétishomeland/thefourwesternprovincesandnorthwestOntariowithouthighspeedInternet(bluedots)andareaswithout50/10Mbpsfixedbroadbandaccess.


MétisPopulationMapsThenextseriesoflargemapsprovidethelocationandsizeofMétiscommunitiesthroughouttheMétishomeland/thefivewesternmostprovinces.Theinformationinthemapsisforthe2006censusperiod,themostrecentsetofmapsavailable.Althoughthefigureswillhavechangedintheinterim,themapsprovideareasonablepictureofthelocationandsizeofMétiscommunities.Themapkeyisprovidedhere.TheredcirclesindicateMétiscommunitiesbypopulationcategories.ThetancolouredareasshowruralareasoverwhichtheMétispopulationisdisseminated.

InternetServiceMaps

Thesecondsetofsmallerprovincialmapsadjacenttothelargerpopulationmapsshowsvariousaspectsofserviceprovision.Thekeysareprovidedhere.

Theadjacentkeyindicates:• TheeligibleareaoftheinitialsetofConnectingCanadians

projects(purple)i.e.whereserviceimprovementisrequired;• CurrentConnecttoInnovate(CTI)projectareas(redlines)• Existing50/10Mbpscoverage(brownandredhexagons)• Satellitedependentcommunities

AccordingtotheOfficeoftheAuditorGeneral(OAG),thegovernmentusedqualitydatatopublishacoveragemapshowingareaseligibleforConnecttoInnovatefunding,dividedintohexagonsof25squarekilometres.Ifnoneofthehouseholdsinahexagonhadaccesstospeedsof5/1Mbpsorgreater,itwasdeemedeligible;conversely,ifsomehouseholdsdid,thehexagonalareawasnoteligibleforfunding.Insuchcases,“anapplicantinterestedinthisareawouldhavehadtodemonstratetheireligibilityfortheprogram.”

Thesecondkeyshowscommunitieswithout“high-capacity”Internetandthosewithoutaccesstobroadband.


Thefollowingfiveprovincialmapsindicatethat,ingeneral,MétiscommunitiesfitintotheserviceextensionareasproposedunderfederalInternetprogramsandthatlimitednumbersofCTIprogramsarecurrentlytargetingareaswhereMétispopulationisconcentrated.

BRITISHCOLUMBIAMAPS


ALBERTAMAPS


SASKATCHEWANMAPS


MANITOBAMAPS


ONTARIOMAPS

NORTHERNONTARIO


7.0 RECOMMENDATION–PILOTPROJECTPROPOSALBasedonthefindingsinthisreport,itisrecommendedthattheMétisNationalCouncil,incollaborationwithitsgoverningmembers,establishadetailedplanfortheprovisionofhighspeedInternetservicesinunderservedareasthroughouttheMétishomeland.Ø Itisrecommendedthatthefirststepinthisprocessistoidentifyoneunderservedarea

withasignificantMétispopulationwhereapilotprojectcanbeundertaken.ApilotprojectwouldhelptheMétisNationgainexperienceanddevelopamethodologytoextendsustainablehigh-speedInternetservicethroughoutthehomeland.

Ø FirstNationsareusinggovernmentbroadbandfundingprogramstocreatebusinesses

partnershipstosupplyservicestotheircommunities,sothatinadditiontotheserviceprovision,businessesandjobsarecreatedforentrepreneursandworkers.ItisrecommendedthatMétisgovernmentsusethisapproach.

Ø ItisrecommendedthatthepilotlaunchinManitobaforthefollowingreasons:

• AttheManitobaMetisEconomicSummitinJune2018,theManitobaMétisFederationgovernment,MMFRegions,andmembersoftheManitobaMetiscommunityidentifiedparticularchallengesbeingfacedbyruralandnortherncommunitiesinapproachingeconomicdevelopment.Amongthesewasacriticallackofinfrastructuresuchashigh-speedInternet.High-speedInternetwouldbeanassetinbusinessformationandexpansioninruralandnortherncommunities.

• TheManitobaMétisEconomicDevelopmentStrategyalreadyhasafocusonexpandingeconomicdevelopmentinruralareas.

• TheLouisRielCapitalCorporation(LRCC)andtheMétisEconomicDevelopmentFund(MEDF)areavailabletosupportbusinessdevelopment.

• AManitoba-based,Métis-ownedInternetserviceprovider,VoyageurInternethasthecapacitytoundertakeapilotproject.

• Largeareasofrural,remote,andnorthernManitobaareunderservedbybroadband.Morethan23,000MétisliveinruralManitoba,includingremoteandnorthernareas.

Ø Itisrecommendedthat,asaninitialstep,asmallstudybeundertakentoidentifyseveralunderservedcommunitiesinnorthernManitobawithasignificantMétispopulationthatcanbetargetedforservice.Thestudywouldincludeasurveyofresidentstodeterminetheircurrentservicerequirementsandconsiderthefeasibilityandcostsofprovidingservicetothearea.TheendresultwillbearecommendationofacommunityorcommunitieswiththehighestimmediateneedforInternetservice.

Ø Itisanticipatedthatthisinitialstudywouldcost$8-10,000.VoyageurInternetiswellpositionedtocarryoutthisstudy.


Ø Basedontheresultsofthisstudy,theMMFwouldapproachfederalandprovincial

Internetprogramstoproposeapilotprojecttoprovidecoreinfrastructureinthetargetarea.Itisanticipatedthatsuchaprojectwouldcost$2-3milliondollars,dependingontheareachosenandthecomplexitiesinvolved.Onceserviceprovisionisestablished,theprojectwouldbeself-sustainingbasedonservicesubscriptions.VoyageurInternetiswellpositionedtocarryoutthisproject.

Ø Basedonthelearningfromthepilot,theMNCanditsgoverningmemberscould

developaprocesstoidentifyadditionalareasandrolloutaruralhigh-speedInternetstrategyineachprovince.

In Manitoba, there are 103 rural communities (Census Subdivision) with self-identified Métis residents. A total of 23,350 Metis lives in the rural communities, 26% of the total Manitoba Metis population.

CommunityNameCSD_TYPE_

NAME

SelfIdentifiedMetis

ManitobaMétisPopulation

89,290Man.RuralMétisPopulation

23,350

%rural 26%Taché,RM RM 1,590St.Andrews,RM RM 1,420St.Clements,RM RM 1,205Springfield,RM RM 1,155Ritchot,RM RM 930DivisionNo.19,Unorganized,NO NO 890PortagelaPrairie,RM RM 875LaBroquerie,RM RM 800Rockwood,RM RM 790DeSalaberry,RM RM 775St.Laurent,RM RM 750Hanover,RM RM 725Ste.Anne,RM RM 715Alexander,RM RM 650Woodlands,RM RM 565Brokenhead,RM RM 545Macdonald,RM RM 450Gimli,RM RM 430LacduBonnet,RM RM 370Cartier,RM RM 370EastSt.Paul,RM RM 370Coldwell,RM RM 370Piney,RM RM 365Kelsey,RM RM 360WestSt.Paul,RM RM 340St-Pierre-Jolys,VL VL 295Dauphin,RM RM 285Lakeshore,RM RM 285DivisionNo.21,Unorganized,NO NO 225DivisionNo.22,Unorganized,NO NO 220Alonsa,RM RM 220MosseyRiver,RM RM 200Ellice-Archie,RM RM 180Reynolds,RM RM 170Headingley,RM RM 170Armstrong,RM RM 155Mountain(North),RM RM 155Grahamdale,RM RM 150Montcalm,RM RM 140Cornwallis,RM RM 135St.FrançoisXavier,RM RM 135Fisher,RM RM 135Grey,RM RM 125Killarney-TurtleMountain,RM RM 110Rosser,RM RM 110Morris,RM RM 95DivisionNo.1,Unorganized,NO NO 85Whitemouth,RM RM 85Sifton,RM RM 85Stuartburn,RM RM 80PrairieLakes,RM RM 80Wallace-Woodworth,RM RM 80

CommunityNameCSD_TYPE_

NAME

SelfIdentifiedMetis

Pinawa,LGD LGD 70VictoriaBeach,RM RM 70Stanley,RM RM 65Whitehead,RM RM 65Elton,RM RM 55Yellowhead,RM RM 55RidingMountainWest,RM RM 55PineCreek66A,IRI IRI 50Oakview,RM RM 45OpaskwayakCreeNation21A,IRI IRI 40OpaskwayakCreeNation21I,IRI IRI 40Dufferin,RM RM 40Mountain(South),RM RM 40Peguis1B,IRI IRI 35Chemawawin2,IRI IRI 35Pipestone,RM RM 35Victoria,RM RM 35Dunnottar,VL VL 35Thompson,RM RM 30Brokenhead4,IRI IRI 25EbbandFlow52,IRI IRI 25FisherRiver44,IRI IRI 25Rosedale,RM RM 25FortAlexander3,IRI IRI 20OpaskwayakCreeNation21E,IRI IRI 20MooseLake31A,IRI IRI 20CrossLake19A,IRI IRI 20NorwayHouse17,IRI IRI 20Argyle,RM RM 20DogCreek46,IRI IRI 15CraneRiver51,IRI IRI 15DivisionNo.18,Unorganized,EastPart,NO NO 15Roland,RM RM 15SiouxValleyDakotaNation,IRI IRI 10SandyBay5,IRI IRI 10LongPlain(Part)6,IRI IRI 10DakotaTipi1,IRI IRI 10Keeseekoowenin61,IRI IRI 10Bloodvein12,IRI IRI 10HoleorHollowWater10,IRI IRI 10Waterhen45,IRI IRI 10BerensRiver13,IRI IRI 10GrandRapids33,IRI IRI 10RedSuckerLake1976,IRI IRI 10NelsonHouse170,IRI IRI 10SplitLake(Part)171,IRI IRI 10CrossLake19E,IRI IRI 10Pukatawagan198,IRI IRI 10Brochet197,IRI IRI 10DivisionNo.17,Unorganized,NO NO 10DivisionNo.20,Unorganized,SouthPart,NO NO 10


SOURCES

BroadbandAccessinRuralCanada:Theroleofconnectivityinbuildingvibrantcommunities,FederationofCanadianMunicipalities,2014.

BroadbandConnectivityInRuralCanada:OvercomingTheDigitalDivide,ReportoftheStandingCommitteeonIndustry,ScienceandTechnology.April2018.

BroadbandDefinitionandTechnologies,ProvinceofNovaScotia,DepartmentofBusinessOptionsforRuralBroadbandConnectivity.

BridgingTheDigitalRuralDivide,DirectorateForScience,TechnologyAndInnovationCommitteeonDigitalEconomyPolicy,OEDC,30May2018.

EnhancingAccessandConnectivitytoHarnessDigitalTransformation,OECDGoingDigitalPolicyNote,OECD2019,Paris,www.oecd.org/going-digital/enhancing-access-digital-transformation.pdf.

High-speedAccessforAll:Canada’sConnectivityStrategy,WebServicesCentre,Innovation,Science,andEconomicDevelopmentCanada,2019

IndigenousConnectivitySummitCommunityReport,NatalieCampbell,InternetSociety,January2018.

IndigenousConnectivitySummitCommunityReport,InternetSociety,January2019.

PoorConnectivityStiflesTechnologyGrowthforRuralBusiness,SueMarquettePoremba,business.com,July2018.

Report1,ConnectivityInRuralAndRemoteAreas2018,FallReportsoftheAuditorGeneralofCanada.

ReportoftheStandingCommitteeonPublicAccounts,April2019

ReviewofAlternativesforRuralHighSpeedInternetDepartmentofBusiness.ProvinceofNovaScotia,DepartmentofBusinessOptionsforRuralBroadbandConnectivity.

RuralBroadbandDeployment,PublicationNo.2011-57-E27.Revised17July2019,DillanTheckedathTerrenceJ.Thomas,RevisedbySarahLemelin-Bellerose,

Economics,ResourcesandInternationalAffairsDivision,ParliamentaryInformationandResearchService,LibraryofParliament,Canada,2019


GLOSSARY

DownloadspeedThespeedatwhichtheuserreceivesdatafromtheInternet–forexample,thespeedatwhichalargefilecanbedownloadedfromawebsite.

FibreopticlineAtypeofcablethatusesglassthreadsorplasticfibrestotransmitdatausingpulsesoflight.Fibrecanoffermuchfasterspeedsthan,forexample,copperwires.

FixedwirelessThisisserviceforprovidinghigh-speedInternettoafixedlocation,suchasahomeorbusiness.Thewirelesssignalistypicallytransmittedfromatowertoanantennainstalledontheroofofthehomeorbusinessinquestion.

Gigabitspersecond(Gbps)Thereare1,000megabitsinagigabit.Therefore,1gigabitpersecondmeans1,000megabitspersecond.

Long-TermEvolution(LTE)Astandardforwirelesscommunications(e.g.forsmartphonesandotherdevices).LTEiscommonlyreferredtoas4G(fourthgeneration)cellulartechnology.

Low-Earthorbit(LEO)constellationAsystemofsatellitesthatorbitmuchclosertotheearththantraditionalcommunicationssatellites.ALEOconstellationcanhavehundredsofsatellites.

Megabitspersecond(Mbps)Themostcommonunitofmeasurementfordescribingthespeedofhigh-speedInternetconnections.

NetworkresiliencyTheabilityofanetworktoprovide“back-up”serviceintheeventofanissuewithnormalnetworkoperation.

PassiveinfrastructureThenon-electricalelementsneededfornetworkdeployment.Examplesofpassiveinfrastructureincludetelephonepoles,undergroundductsorconduit,andwirelesstowers.

ScalabilityTheabilityofnetworkinfrastructuretobeupgradedlatertoofferhigherspeeds.

SpectrumAirwavesusedtotransmitsoundanddatawirelessly.

TelehealthAmethodofprovidinghealthcareservicesremotelyusingdigitaltechnologyincludingcomputersandmobiledevices.

UploadspeedTheconnectionspeedatwhichtheusercansenddata,suchasthespeedtouploadavideotoasocialmediawebsite.

WirelessAconnectionusingwirelesssignalsratherthanwiring.Forexample,asignalcanbetransmittedfromawirelesstowertomobiledevicessuchasphonesortofixedlocationssuchashouses.

WirelineAnInternetconnectionprovideddirectlytoahomeorbusinessusingsomeformofwireorcable.

high speed internet service for rural and remote métis ...€¦ · providing access to high-speed...

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