98% of Alberta connected

Times Reporter 

 

Announced fittingly by a simultaneous online live video streaming from Hanna, St. Paul, and Calgary, 98 per cent of the province’s households are now able to access high-speed Internet. With this new innovation more students can conduct online research for school projects, new markets can be explored by business, and more families can connect around the world.

“If you live in the remote reaches of our province, getting connected can make a big difference in your life,” Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Verlyn Olson said in a press release. “I expect that rural Albertans will take full advantage of all of the opportunities.”

In November 2011, Premier Alison Redford set the dream in motion when she instructed the Ministers of Service Alberta, and Agriculture and Rural Development, to devise a plan to link rural households to the World Wide Web. The plan, called the Final Mile Rural Connectivity Initiative, provided high-speed satellite services to sparsely populated areas of the province, where fibre optic cable may not have been feasible previously for Internet connections. A total of 23 rural sites were installed – a cost of $5.1 million.

“Alberta has ensured a level playing field for all of its citizens, no matter where they live. It opens new markets, invests in families and communities, and sets the stage for continued prosperity,” Minister of Service Alberta Manmeet Bhullar said.

The Government of Alberta will monitor the expanded services and assist providers in maintaining service coverage information.