Province announces rural broadband expansion to 83,000 more homes

By medicinehatnews on January 31, 2026.

An additional 759 communities will soon have access to high-speed rural broadband as part of ongoing efforts by Alberta’s government.

With the completion of the latest phase of funding through the Universal Broadband Fund, 83,000 more homes around the province will now have access to reliable high-speed internet, as the province says it recognizes that access to reliable internet has become a need.

“When we launched our broadband strategy, we set an ambitious goal: ensure every Albertan – no matter where they are in the province – has access to reliable, high-speed internet,” said Minister of Technology and Innovation Nate Glubish. “This latest batch of projects brings Alberta to over 95 per cent of our goal and it shows just how far we’ve come. We are following through on our commitment to universal connectivity, and as more homes are identified, we will keep pushing until the job is done.”

More than $622 million has been invested into 81 projects since the beginning of the campaign, says the province. To date, 14 broadband projects have completed construction, 44 others are in progress and another 24 are in planning. The 27 projects announced today will cost $373,558,770 in total, with $112,390,887 from the province, $136,926,460 from the federal government and $124,241,423 from service provider partners.

It is estimated construction on all broadband strategy projects could create up to 2,000 jobs across Alberta.

“In today’s day and age, every corner of Alberta should have access to reliable, affordable high-speed internet, whether that’s in Slave Lake or Beaver Mines,” said Secretary of State for rural development Buckley Belanger. “Today’s announcement is a major milestone, and investments like these make a real difference in people’s lives, creating jobs, improving access to health care and online learning services and keeping us connected to our loved ones.”

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