Canada and Alberta are expanding high-speed Internet access in the province

Investment from federal and provincial governments will bring high-speed Internet access to 1,833 homes across Alberta

OTTAWA, ON, Sept. 15, 2026 /CNW/ -- Reliable and affordable high-speed Internet is essential for all Canadians. It enables access to important online resources, connects friends and families, and drives economic growth and innovation. This is why the governments of Canada and Alberta are bringing high-speed Internet access to underserved communities in Alberta.

Today, the Honourable Buckley Belanger, Secretary of State for Rural Development, together with the Honourable Nate Glubish, Alberta's Minister of Technology and Innovation, announced $24.8 million in joint federal and provincial funding for two projects to bring high-speed Internet access to 1,833 households in rural and remote communities across Alberta.

This funding is part of an existing agreement between the governments of Canada and Alberta. On March 9, 2022, both governments announced a historic broadband partnership to invest up to $780 million to provide high-speed Internet access to Albertans in rural, remote and Indigenous communities.

The federal government remains on track to meet its goal of providing high-speed Internet access to 98% of Canadian households by the end of 2026, and 100% by 2030. With these investments, the government is helping to create new opportunities for rural and remote communities--ensuring that all Canadians, no matter where they live, have full access to high–speed Internet, enabling them to participate in the digital economy and benefit from everything Canada has to offer.

Quotes

"In today's world, high-speed Internet is essential infrastructure. For rural households like the 1,833 across Alberta being connected by this funding, it helps level the playing field--connecting people to health care, education and business. This project brings us another step closer to our goal of connecting every Canadian to high-speed Internet by 2030 and is another great example of what we can accomplish when Canada and Alberta work together."
– The Honourable Buckley Belanger, Secretary of State for Rural Development

"No matter where Albertans live, they should have access to reliable, high-speed Internet. This investment will help connect more rural and remote communities, support local businesses, create new opportunities and improve access to the services people rely on every day. Together with the Government of Canada, we are building the infrastructure needed to keep Alberta communities connected."
– The Honourable Nate Glubish, Alberta's Minister of Technology and Innovation

Quick facts

• Canada's Connectivity Strategy aims to provide all Canadians with access to Internet speeds of at least 50 megabits per second (Mbps) download / 10 Mbps upload.
• The Universal Broadband Fund is a $3.225 billion investment by the Government of Canada designed to help provide high-speed Internet access to 98% of Canadian households by the end of 2026 and achieve the national target of 100% access by 2030.
• Today, 97.4% of Canadian households have access to high-speed Internet, compared to just 79% in 2014.
• In Alberta, 98.1% of households currently have access to high-speed Internet.
• Since 2015, the Government of Canada has invested $554 million in connectivity projects in Alberta.
• Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit individuals and gender diverse people are more likely to go missing or be murdered than non-Indigenous women. Better connectivity means more tools in moments of danger, enabling victims of violence to access critical online resources and get help when they need it most.

Associated links

• Rural economic development
• High-Speed Internet Access Dashboard
• Universal Broadband Fund
• Backgrounder: Universal Broadband Fund and Telesat low Earth orbit capacity agreement
• High-Speed Access for All: Canada's Connectivity Strategy
• National Broadband Map
• Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People
• Backgrounder: Governments of Canada and Alberta to help bring high-speed Internet access to communities across the province - Canada.ca

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SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Contacts: Government of Canada: Connor Burton, Senior Communications and Issues Advisor and Press Secretary, Office of the Secretary of State for Rural Development, [email protected], 343-549-8093; Media Relations, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, [email protected]; Government of Alberta: Eleni Iskierski, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Technology and Innovation, [email protected]