The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has announced that it is helping bring high-speed internet to 27 communities in rural Saskatchewan.
Through the Broadband Fund, the CRTC is committing over $12 million to Saskatchewan Telecommunications and Access Communications Co-operative Limited to build approximately 455 kilometres of transport fibre infrastructure to 25 communities in rural Saskatchewan, including one Indigenous community. Another company, Saskatchewan Telecommunications, received funding for two communities, one of which is Indigenous. In total, these two projects will cost roughly $15.35 million and will serve 3,880 households.
To add some context, the CRTC launched the Broadband Fund in 2019 to help connect rural, remote, and Indigenous communities to high-speed internet services. According to a press release, the fund has improved high-speed internet and cellphone services in over 320 communities, which include 135 Indigenous communities. The CRTC also says this connects essential services such as schools, health care facilities, and community centres.
The CRTC also noted that many of the impacted communities provided letters of support that emphasized the projects’ needs, including access to remote work/education and enhanced economic opportunities.
According to the CRTC, the projects announced today are the last to receive funding from the most recent selection process. The next round of applications for the fund will open in 2026.
