TALLCREE TRIBAL GOVERNMENT, Alberta — Telus Communications and Tallcree Tribal Government in Alberta announced earlier this month funding from the CRTC’s Broadband Fund will help to bring wireless connectivity to Tallcree First Nation in northern Alberta for the first time.
“With a wireless connection, small businesses can thrive and compete both locally and globally, families can stay connected to loved ones who live out of town, young people can stay in their hometowns longer and participate in distance education, and perhaps most critically, a wireless connection provides a lifeline to call for help in the event of an emergency,” reads a Telus press release.
In August 2021, the CRTC approved $1.85 million in funding from the Broadband Fund for Telus to build two new cellular sites in Tallcree First Nation, benefitting Tallcree 173 (South Tallcree) and Tallcree 173A (North Tallcree).
The CRTC approved additional funding of $606,408 for the project in July 2022, bringing total funding from the Broadband Fund to almost $2.5 million.
The communities of South and North Tallcree are located south of Fort Vermilion, Alberta, along the Highway 88 corridor. The CRTC funding is being used to bring wireless service to the two communities and along 12 kilometres of the highway.
The project is currently underway and is expected to be completed by late 2024, according to the press release. Once complete, the project will connect more than 300 households in Tallcree First Nation to Telus’ wireless service, the release adds.
“We are pleased to announce to the communities of North and South Tallcree this tremendous opportunity for our people,” said Chief Rupert Meneen of Tallcree Tribal Government, in the release. “We have been awaiting this announcement since 2019. Chief and Council and our Administration have worked in partnership with TELUS Wireless Services and the CRTC on this project for several years.
“We are pleased to be working with TELUS in this partnership and are extremely grateful to Brian Bettis and his team at TELUS for working so very hard on this project and extremely grateful to the CRTC for recognizing the importance of these communication tools that help our communities to remain connected. This project will provide the opportunities to our people that other communities have closer to larger centres and the Chief and Council encourage our communities to take full advantage of the services.”
“TELUS is committed to ensuring everyone can thrive in our digital world, no matter where they live,” said Tony Geheran, executive vice-president and chief operations officer of Telus.
“We are proud to work alongside Tallcree First Nation and the CRTC to bring wireless connectivity to Tallcree First Nation members. This is part of our ongoing commitment to enable rural and Indigenous communities across the province, equipping residents and businesses with the speeds and coverage they need to connect to the people and information that matter the most.”
