Highlights
As of January 2024, 80% of homes on First Nation reserves and Modern Treaty Nation lands have access to high-speed internet services. When all current projects are complete, that figure will rise to 91.7%. As more projects are received and assessed through the Connecting Communities BC program, this figure will increase until all homes have access to high-speed internet services.
Highlights include funding for a project led by service provider CityWest in Lax Kw’alaams in the north to bring high-speed internet to more than 340 homes, and a Telus project to bring internet access to more than 850 households in 11 First Nations communities between Yale and Ruby Creek in the Fraser Valley.
The project built new internet infrastructure to serve residents in the communities of Dogwood Valley, Squeah and Yale, as well as the First Nations communities of Yale First Nation (Yale Town 1, Albert Flat 5, Lukseetsissum 9 and Stullawheets 8), Chawathil First Nation (Chawathil 4 and Schkam 2) and Sq’ewá:lxw (Skawahlook) First Nation (Skawahlook 1 and Ruby Creek 2).
How are we working together?
First Nations Health Authority
The First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) and the Ministry of Citizens’ Services share a mutual interest in accelerating high-speed connectivity access and digital optimization in First Nations across the province to strengthen community resiliency and improve quality of life. Through a memorandum of understanding, the organizations agree to mutual collaboration, support, and information sharing. By combining strengths, focus and energies to bring connectivity to rural and remote First Nation communities, support First Nations-led health and wellness initiatives will increase, as connectivity is foundational for access to programs for health promotion and disease prevention, such as primary care, mental health, e-health and traditional wellness.
Coastal First Nations
Connectivity plays an integral role in the new Coastal First Nations-BC Reconciliation Framework Agreement as human well-being and increased quality of life benefits are realized through significantly improved communications and enhanced delivery of digital services and technologies throughout the North Pacific Coast. Regional connectivity is foundational for the overall success of this agreement and the Declaration Act Action Plan – digital equity and enablement leads to greater governance capability, land and marine stewardship, access to educational and small business opportunities, blue economy development, health solutions deployment, and cultural wellbeing through language preservation.
First Nations Technology Council
The Province has provided the First Nations Technology Council with a grant of $1.5 million for the council to support Declaration Act Action Plan Implementation through education, engagement, and research across identified strategic priority areas of digital equity including spectrum, digital skills and digital literacy, employment and business development, partnerships, relationships and capacity building.
Are there challenges?
There are overall programmatic risks to meeting the 2027 targets for a number of reasons including:
- Technology solutions i.e., Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite services for the final homes that are cost prohibitive to serve with a terrestrial build;
- Disruption in build cycles due to emergency and weather conditions i.e., many underserved communities are in high-risk wildfire and flood areas; and
- The sheer volume of complex permitting and consultations, which are a major time component for connectivity projects to complete i.e., land tenure applications, access to BC Parks, etc.
Previous years’ progress
2022/2023 progress details
Highlights
On March 8, 2022, the Governments of British Columbia and Canada announced an agreement to invest up to $830 million ($415 million each) to support expanding broadband infrastructure in the Province. The funding commitment will help reach more communities in B.C. with more high-speed internet services than ever before. This program will help fund the infrastructure that will ensure every community has the connectivity needed to fully participate in the economy, individuals and families have access to the services they need when they need them and builds the foundation to support meaningful reconciliation.
The commitment to support expansion of high-speed internet services to all households by 2027 aims to help level the playing field for everyone in British Columbia, closing the digital divide and ensuring rural and Indigenous communities have better access to jobs, education, training, health care and new, diversified economic opportunities.
Indicators
As of January 2023, 76 per cent of households on First Nation reserves and Modern Treaty Nation lands had access to high-speed internet services.
Implementation project underway: The second intake of the Connecting Communities BC program (CCBC) closed on February 16, 2023. The Connectivity Division assesses applications on an ongoing basis and will be completing an analysis of remaining under-served homes with the federal government in anticipation of future intakes.
How are we working together?
Engagement with partners such as the First Nations Health Authority and First Nations Technology Council is underway. Direct First Nation community engagement is ongoing to gather feedback on accuracy of connectivity infrastructure data and the current state and availability of digital services.
Are there challenges?
There are overall program challenges to meeting the 2027 targets for a number of reasons including:
- Disruption in build cycles due to emergency and weather conditions i.e., many underserved communities are in high-risk wildfire and tsunami areas; and
- The sheer volume of complex permitting and consultations which are a major time component for connectivity projects to complete.