EDMONTON – Indigenous-owned telecom service provider Arrow Technology Group has secured an $8.1-million loan from the Canada Infrastructure Bank for new broadband infrastructure serving indigenous and rural communities in Alberta, according to a press release today.
The project, whose construction is already underway, will connect 20 indigenous and four rural communities with internet download speeds of 50 Mbps to 300 Mbps and unlimited data. Arrow will manage construction, installation, operations and maintenance of the project.
The funding comes from the bank’s Indigenous Community Infrastructure initiative, which is intended to accelerate indigenous infrastructure projects. It will be the bank’s first investment toward infrastructure gaps within Metis communities, as the project will include Metis settlements and First Nations from Treaty 8 and Treaty 6.
“Due to the low population density and current lack of broadband infrastructure in rural areas, the cost of connection per household is very high,” the release said. “The CIB’s financing rates allow broadband connectivity to expand in unserved and underserved communities at a quicker pace while also enabling Arrow to charge affordable rates to its Indigenous and rural customers.”
The bank’s funding is just one piece of the funding pie for the project, as it also draws on grants from Innovation Canada’s Universal Broadband Fund and Connect to Innovate, as well as the CRTC’s Broadband Fund.
Photo via Canada Infrastructure Bank
