Community Broadband Networks for Rural and Remote Indigenous Communities: Evaluating the Impacts of Training and Fibre-to-the-Home Deployment for First Nations Community Members

In Canada, residents of rural, remote and Northern communities face limitations in access to and availability of Internet connectivity and services. They also generally pay more for slower, less reliable, and more expensive telecommunications services compared to southern and urban residents. Over the last several decades, many public policy and community-led initiatives have attempted to develop telecommunications services in these regions. This has included the development of successful Indigenous community-based and non-profit Internet Service Providers (ISPs). This project will contribute to these efforts to connect underserved Indigenous communities on their own terms, through engaging residents in knowledge sharing, training, and the research and evaluation of activities related to the deployment of Community Networks. In particular, this project highlights the work of the Western James Bay Telecommunications Network, the first 100% Indigenous owned and operated, fibre-optic network backbone in Canada.

Faculty Supervisor:

Rob McMahon

Student:

Partner:

The Western James Bay Telecom Network

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Information and cultural industries

University:

University of Alberta

Program: