EDMONTON – The high-speed Alberta SuperNet is now built and operational in thousands of facilities in 429 communities across Alberta, “making the province more connected than ever before,” the provincial government and Bell Canada announced today.
All Alberta SuperNet communities are connected to the network, and ready to carry Internet service. Many of the 4,200 learning and health facilities and government offices connected across the province are already using the network for high-speed services such as video conferencing.
"The network will now be continuously evolving, just like roads or any other infrastructure – for example, adding a new school once it is built. While we’re pleased to have met this final milestone, it’s the future possibilities of Alberta SuperNet that are truly exciting,” said Restructuring and Government Efficiency Minister Luke Ouellette.
"This announcement is the result of many years of hard work by a great team of people, building the vision of a high-speed network that is now working for Albertans."
Bell Canada, the prime contractor in building the Alberta SuperNet, says it’s now shifting its focus to developing applications that realize the capabilities of Supernet. Pointing to video conferencing for distance learning and remote medical instruction and monitoring, says Stephen Wetmore, Bell’s group president, national markets, "Bell will continue to leverage our extensive IP experience to translate the potential of the SuperNet into opportunities for Albertans."
"Axia is pleased to be selling real broadband services to over 30 service providers. We are now seeing unprecedented demand for services from new business operators who are targeting rural Alberta. This is the great news we anticipated when the SuperNet was originally envisioned,” added Axia NetMedia chairman and CEO Art Price.
Through Internet service providers, SuperNet now has the capacity to bring high-speed access to more than 86% of Alberta’s population, making SuperNet a key factor in rural Alberta’s social and economic development.
Alberta SuperNet is a broadband network linking approximately 4,200 government, health, library and education facilities in 429 communities across the province at affordable and sustainable costs to the Government of Alberta. Additionally, Alberta SuperNet creates a competitive market for the delivery of broadband services by private Internet service providers throughout the province to rural retail customers. Alberta SuperNet is comprised of a Base Area Network, constructed, owned and operated by Bell in 27 of Alberta’s largest communities. The Extended Area Network is comprised of 402 communities in rural Alberta.
Axia NetMedia has a 10-year renewable contract with the government of Alberta to provide managed real broadband network services to those 4,200 facilities.
