Canada - Broadband for Rural and Northern Development Pilot Program

The Broadband for Rural and Northern Development Pilot Program is part of the government of Canada's National Satellite Initiative. As part of the initiative, the program assists those communities gain broadband access, primarily people from First Nations in northern and rural communities, to provide services in the areas of health and education, as well as to augment economic opportunities. The Broadband Pilot Program conducted two rounds of business plan development funding, followed by two rounds of implementation funding, each with a competitive call by Industry Canada for the submission of applications from interested communities throughout Canada. 52 remote communities in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec have gained access to broadband services via satellite. Forty-one of these communities are Aboriginal communities. The goal of the project, according to a spokesman, is to allow satellite capacity "to push remote communities into the fast lane of the Information Highway." Broadband is defined as a high-capacity Internet connection, capable of supporting full-motion, real-time audio and video applications. It is a pipeline for delivering innovative applications, thereby making health, education and business services easily accessible throughout Canada.

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Contributor: Charlotte Moser
Published Date: April 1, 2005