Following the announcement of Broadband Communications North being awarded 9.9 million dollars to improve connectivity in the north, the non-profit’s executive director spoke to Arctic Radio News about how important this project is to these communities.

 

Ken Sanderson explains the need for better broadband and bandwidth in these communities is substantial, and that the COVID-19 pandemic has increased that need.

 

Sanderson states that Manitoba has the highest number of remote and satellite-dependent communities in the country, and that most of these communities have been struggling with having a small amount of bandwidth for a very long time.

 

He says that the satellite deployment BCN has done since 2002 has been made possible by government subsidy, which had ended last year, and so they had to work with Ottawa to figure out other ways on how to fund their projects.

 

BCN was established in 2002 by northern communities, First Nations, and tribal councils who wanted to improve connectivity in their areas, and initially got their start as a satellite network.

 

Listen to Thompson Today at 12:40 and 5:10 this afternoon for more on BCN’s northern broadband project.