By Ahmad Hathout
OTTAWA – Municipalities and indigenous entities got a good chunk of the project selection rate under the Universal Broadband Fund as of February, according to data released via an access to information request.
For all conditionally approved projects as of February 3, municipalities received 48 per cent of the selection rate, indigenous types received 37 per cent, small internet service providers got 25 per cent and large ISPs got 11 per cent.
The data is further broken down by the type of stream under the $3.225-billion program run by Innovation Canada. The program includes a $150-million “rapid response stream” (RRS) for projects that were supposed to be completed by November 2021 and the core project, where the bulk of the money lies.
Under the core stream as of February, municipalities took 55 per cent of the project selection, 27 per cent went to the indigenous, 21 per cent went to small ISPs, and 5 per cent went to the large ISPs.
Under the RRS stream, indigenous projects took 59 per cent of the selection rate, municipalities took 33 per cent, 32 per cent went to large ISPs and 31 per cent went to small ISPs. (Cartt reported that not all money for the RRS stream had been disbursed as of late January.)
The UBF also includes $50 million for mobile internet project stream, primarily meant to benefit indigenous peoples. 50 per cent of the selection rate went to small ISPs, while 46 per cent went to the large ISPs.
Cartt reported last month that all money has yet to be distributed from the older $585-million Connect to Innovate fund as of May 4. According to that reporting, ISED said two-thirds of available funding announced under the CTI program was for projects led by small ISPs, municipalities and indigenous entities and the rest allocated to large ISPs.
ISED added that under the UBF, the announced allocations are closer to half between those cohorts.
The federal government said it is on track to exceed its goal of 98 per cent connectivity across the nation by 2026, with an aim for complete coverage by 2030.
Part of the strategy to accelerate that is ISED’s relatively novel provincial partnership model, wherein it has signed agreements with several provinces to deliver the UBF funds more efficiently and quickly – instead of the applicants going directly to ISED.
Photo of Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne.
