Ottawa matching rest of Alta. funding for cross-province high-speed internet

The Government of Canada has come through with $240 million for Alberta's plan to build high-speed internet across the province. 

The federal minister of rural economic development was in Leduc, Alta., on Wednesday to announce the contribution, a dollar-for-dollar match of an investment the Alberta government announced one week earlier. 

In total, $780 million from the two levels of government will be put toward Alberta's broadband strategy, including a combined $300 million announced previously. 

Both Canada and Alberta have goals to improve internet access for residents. The federal government is committing to connecting all Canadians, regardless of their location, by 2030; Alberta claims it will achieve the same thing for residents within its boundaries by 2026-27. 

"We know that internet's no longer a luxury; it's a necessity. And we're both going to deliver on that promise," federal minister Gudie Hutchings said at the Wednesday event. 

According to Service Alberta Minister Nate Glubish, achieving cross-province connectivity would result in a $1.7-billion boost to Alberta's GDP. 

He believes the public money will attract investment from the private sector and service providers, who will be applying for funding for projects. 

Since announcing the first allotment in December, Glubish says the province has received "hundreds and hundreds" of applications. 

"We are collaborating on ranking and prioritizing those projects and I'm really looking forward to being able to announce soon which will be the first tranche of projects to qualify for the first year's worth of funding," he said. 

"While I can't tell you when exactly that day will be, I can tell you that our goal is to make sure that there will be some shovels in the ground this summer, this construction season, from that first batch." 

One week earlier, Glubish was in southern Alberta to announce the $240-million investment.

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