OTTAWA, May 20, 2004 — The Honourable Lucienne Robillard, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, is pleased to announce that up to $35 million has been made available to 25 organizations selected to receive assistance from Industry Canada in deploying broadband Internet to their communities.

These organizations, representing an estimated 82 Aboriginal communities, among others across Canada, will have access to funds as part of the Broadband for Rural and Northern Development Pilot Program's second round of implementation funding.

"Broadband will help Aboriginal Canadians strengthen the foundations of their communities," said Minister Robillard. "From diversifying local economies to preserving language and culture to offering better access to education and health — this technology can be a catalyst to enhance quality of life."

Broadband is defined as a high-capacity Internet connection, capable of supporting full-motion, real-time audio and video applications. It serves as a pipeline for delivering innovative applications, putting services in areas like health, education and business within easy reach of all Canadians.

"With broadband, Aboriginal communities across the country are taking a step forward toward joining the knowledge economy," said Rick Boucher, Vice-President of the Métis Nation of Alberta. "The technology offers tools that can stimulate economic growth and create jobs, as well as promote health and education."

Organizations selected to work with Industry Canada (see attached list) were chosen from 107 submissions from across Canada, based on recommendations by an arm's-length National Selection Committee.

Broadband implementation funding announced today is subject to successful negotiation between all parties through a formal contribution agreement.

The Broadband for Rural and Northern Development Pilot Program complements the $155-million National Satellite Initiative announced on October 5, 2003, in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut. In the February 2004 Speech from the Throne, the Government of Canada reaffirmed its commitment to bringing economic benefits to all regions of Canada. This commitment would include bringing broadband service to rural communities, where it can help surmount the barrier of distance. Broadband access will ultimately provide Aboriginal, northern and rural communities with more opportunities to move forward socially and economically.

For more information on broadband initiatives, please visit http://broadband.gc.ca.

For more information, please contact:

Daniel Grenier
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Lucienne Robillard
Minister of Industry and Minister responsible
for the Economic Development Agency of
Canada for the Regions of Quebec
(613) 995-9001

Media Relations
Industry Canada
(613) 943-2502

Backgrounder
Broadband for Rural and Northern Development Pilot Program
Broadband Implementation Funding

Broadband, or high-capacity, Internet is technology that has the potential to greatly enhance the quality of life of all Canadians through applications such as telemedicine, distance education and improved e-business opportunities.

The Government of Canada is pleased to announce that 25 organizations representing 612 communities were selected to receive assistance from Industry Canada to deploy broadband Internet service to their community. Eighty-two of these communities are Aboriginal.

What is the Broadband for Rural and Northern Development Pilot Program?

The $105-million Broadband for Rural and Northern Development Pilot Program was launched on September 5, 2002. This program marks the first step toward the government's commitment to ensuring broadband Internet access for all Canadian communities, in partnership with local communities, the provinces, territories and the private sector.

The program was delivered through two rounds of business plan development funding, followed by two rounds of implementation funding. Both rounds of business plan development funding and implementation funding are complete.

In total, the Government of Canada has invested $4.2 million to support the development of business plans and $79 million in the deployment of broadband services to Aboriginal, northern and rural communities.

Broadband implementation funding announced May 20, 2004 is subject to successful negotiation between all parties through a formal contribution agreement.

How were business plans selected for implementation funding?

Industry Canada and the National Selection Committee reviewed business plans and made recommendations, according to the following criteria:

• Community engagement — demonstrated support for broadband implementation of community stakeholders, and neighbouring communities.



• Community need — anticipated requirements, uses and expected benefits resulting from broadband access.



• Project management — the experience and/or ability of the applicant to successfully implement the business plan and complete the project in a timely manner.



• Technology and implementation — demonstration that technological solutions selected through a request for proposals (RFP) process are appropriate to the needs and capacities of the community or communities concerned.



• Sustainability — demonstration of a long-term strategy to sustain the broadband services deployed as a result of this project.

How were broadband business plans assessed?

Business plans were assessed by Industry Canada and the National Selection Committee based on: community engagement, community need, project management, technology and implementation, and sustainability.

Why were there no projects selected from New Brunswick or Nunavut?

The Broadband Pilot Program did not receive any submissions from Nunavut in this round of implementation funding since an application from Nunavut, which covered all communities in the territory, was selected in the first round.

No applications were submitted from New Brunswick for this round of implementation funds since a province-wide broadband initiative was announced in fall 2003 that will extend broadband services to approximately 90 per cent of households, 95 per cent of businesses, 100 per cent of health centers and all First Nations communities.

When were the National Selection Committee members selected and what role do they play?

Members of the National Selection Committee were selected on December 17, 2002. The 24-member committee comprises individual leaders from academia, government and the private sector, as well as health, education and community organizations. With information from Industry Canada, they make recommendations to the Minister on which proposals should receive business plan and implementation funding.

What additional funding is available?

The Broadband for Rural and Northern Development Pilot Program was delivered through two rounds of business plan development funding, followed by two rounds of implementation funding. All rounds of business plan development funding and implementation funds are complete and no further funding is available.

Communities that are eligible to receive broadband services via satellite are encouraged to apply for satellite capacity under the National Satellite Initiative. For more information on broadband developments, please visit http://www.broadband.gc.ca.

How does broadband access relate to Canada's Innovation Strategy?

In the lead up to the National Summit on Innovation and Learning, between May and November 2002, more than 10 000 Canadians gave their views and ideas on creating a culture of innovation and learning across Canada. More than 34 regional summits were held to discuss the issues.

At the National Summit, extending broadband access across the country and into rural and remote communities was identified by participants as a key to strengthening communities. The launch of the Broadband for Rural and Northern Development Pilot Program was identified as an early action taken by the Government of Canada toward this goal.

Provincial Breakdown

* While $36 million has been requested, only $35 million is available under this round of implementation funding. The final amount of funds allocated to each applicant will be determined following negotiation with Industry Canada.

This total represents 451 communities as defined by Statistics Canada and 10 percent of the unserved communities in Canada.

Successful Applicants and List of Impacted Aboriginal Communities

The following list of First Nations communities is based on the information submitted by applicants to the Broadband for Rural and Northern Development Pilot Program. Therefore, there is a possibility of duplicate entries or missing communities. The actual list of Aboriginal communities affected by Round 2 Phase 2 of broadband implementation funds will be confirmed following successful negotiation between Industry Canada and the applicant.

British Columbia

Alberta

Manitoba

Newfoundland and Labrador

Nova Scotia

Northwest Territories

Ontario

Prince Edward Island

Québec

Saskatchewan

Yukon

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Date Modified: 2005-01-04 Important Notices