OTTAWA – The federal government announced today it is providing nearly $6.6 million in funding for projects that will bring high-speed Internet to over 2,500 households in rural Saskatchewan.
The funding is being provided through the Universal Broadband Fund’s (UBF) Rapid Response Stream.
FlexNetworks will receive $2.4 million for a project bringing high-speed Internet to the communities of Neuhorst, Bradwell, Shields, Thode and Neuanlage, and rural areas near the village of Clavet.
Prairie Crocus Rural Internet will receive $1.29 million for a project benefitting Water Park Estates, Eagle Ridge Country Estates, Aberdeen and Shields.
Access Communications Cooperative Limited will receive $528,909 to bring high-speed Internet to the communities of Macklin and Shaunavon.
Additionally, Muscowpetung Saulteaux Nation is being allocated $458,271 and Beardy’s & Okemasis’ Cree Nation is being allocated $1.9 million for high-speed Internet projects.
At a press conference announcing the funding for these projects, Gudie Hutchings (above, right), the minister of Rural Economic Development, said this is in addition to the $35 million the government has already approved for seven projects to connect over 18,000 households in Saskatchewan.
Jacques Taillefer, executive vice-president of FlexNetworks said in an emailed statement to Cartt.ca the company “was notified of the grant approval several months ago.” He said construction began on the fibre-to-the-home projects in early fall 2021, and as a result, the company has already connected hundreds of households in the communities that are part of today’s announcement. FlexNetworks anticipates a completion date of March 31.
Flexnetworks did not disclose how much the company invested in the projects.
“As a privately held company, FlexNetworks does not publicly disclose its financial information,” Taillefer said. “However, by the end of 2022, FlexNetworks will have invested over $100 million and built more than 1,500 km of fibre-optic cable to connect 106 underserved communities across Saskatchewan.”
A spokesperson for Access Communications told Cartt.ca via email the company’s new AccessHyperSpeed service launched today in Shaunavon. The service offers a maximum download speed of 450 Mbps, a speed that is now available through Access Communications in over 70 communities in Saskatchewan.
The same service will launch in Macklin on March 15*, the spokesperson said, noting “450 down, and 25 up far exceeds the minimum requirement of 50 down and 10 up for UBF funding.”
In addition to the funding from the UBF’s Rapid Response Stream, Access Communications is investing over $200,000 in the projects in Shaunavon and Macklin, with the total cost for both totalling over $730,000.
Prairie Crocus Rural Internet has put in around $600,000 Cartt.ca was told via email. The company intends to finish the build and be in 100% service by August this year.
Cartt.ca reached out to Muscowpetung Saulteaux Nation and Beardy’s & Okemasis’ Cree Nation for more information on their projects but did not hear back by deadline.
Photo of Hutchings, pictured during today’s press conference alongside Dan Vandal, the minister of Northern Affairs, minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada and minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, provided by the Office of the Minister of Rural and Economic Development.
*A previous version of this story said Macklin would have service earlier, however Access Communications has since updated us to let us know the service will launch March 15.
