Canada’s telecoms regulator is looking at how to make it easier for Indigenous communities to access funding for high-speed internet and cellphone services.
The CRTC said this week it wants to create a dedicated Indigenous stream within its Broadband Fund – the pot of federal money used to connect underserved communities across Canada.
The regulator said it is examining how to simplify the application process, offer more flexible deadlines, and reduce the paperwork required after a project is approved.
According to the CRTC, the fund has so far helped improve the connections of 135 Indigenous communities.
But a significant gap remains: according to the regulator’s own 2024 survey, fewer than 70 percent of households in the three territories and about 66 percent on First Nations reserves had access to internet meeting the CRTC’s quality benchmark of 50 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload speeds with unlimited data. The nationwide figure at the time was more than 96 percent.
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The CRTC said it has been meeting with Indigenous telecommunications providers, national Indigenous organizations, and Indigenous governments since January 2024 to better understand the barriers faced by applicants like community governments or businesses.
Comments are being accepted until September 18.
