Indigenous youth innovators and First Mile featured in Motherboard news story

Bandwidth: Kids Built Their Own Internet Infrastructure A story in Motherboard about how First Mile youth in the built and now operate their own broadband infrastructure. The story points to many other examples of innovation taking place in Indigenous communities across Canada, as showcased on the www.firstmile.ca website. Three years ago, the people living in[…]

2015 CRTC: Review of Telesat’s Pricing for Satellite Services

On August 21, 2015, the FMCC submitted an intervention to the Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2015-133 Review of Telesat Canada’s price ceiling for C-band fixed satellite services. The FMCC strongly believes that a price ceiling for C-band FSS service remains appropriate because there is no realistic alternative to Telesat to provide FSS service in[…]

Bringing Healthcare Closer to First Nations Communities in B.C.

As of March 6, 2015, after months of planning, the Telehealth​ Expansion Project (FNTEP) is set to deploy new clinical telehealth equipment, beginning with Coastal and Interior communities in British Columbia. The telehealth equipment will offer rural communities (such as Anahim Lake, Klemtu, Three Corners, Bella Coola, Hartley Bay and many others) the opportunity to access healthcare[…]

First Mile Connectivity Consortium part of CRTC BSO hearings

Yesterday (July 14) was the deadline for the first round of input into a historic government CRTC hearings on the Basic Service Objectives for telecommunication services across Canada. The First Mile Connectivity Consortium was one of over 300 organizations and individuals that have entered the hearing before yesterday’s deadline. The hearing, CRTC 2015-134: Review of[…]

2015 – 2016 CRTC: Review of the Basic Service Objective (BSO)

On July 14, 2015, the FMCC submitted an intervention to the Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2015-134 Review of basic telecommunications services. We provided evidence demonstrating that the existing model for ensuring that telecommunications services are available and affordable in rural, remote, and northern areas has fallen short of the needs of community members, and[…]

CRTC moves BSO deadline for initial interventions to July 14

FMCC received the following notice by email today announcing a 2 week extension for the initial interventions from June 30 to July 14. ++++++++++ May 28, 2015 Our reference: 8663-C12-201503186 BY E-MAIL To: Distribution List RE: Review of basic telecommunications services, Telecom Notice of Consultation 2015-1341 – Changes to filing dates On 4 May 2015,[…]

First Mile Connectivity Consortium (FMCC) receives CIRA grant

May 28, 2015 The First Mile Connectivity Consortium has received new funding support for policy research on broadband infrastructure and services in rural, remote and northern Indigenous communities. We are thrilled to announce that the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) has awarded the FMCC $30,000. These funds will be used to collect evidence to present at the Canadian Radio-Television[…]

Rebooting Canada’s Communication Legislation Conference in Ottawa – May 22-23, 2015

The University of Ottawa’s Centre on Governance and the Forum for Research on Policy in Communications (FRPC) are co-sponsoring a policy and law conference on May 22nd and 23rd, 2015, focussing on Canada’s broadcasting and telecommunications legislation. It will examine issues related to communications sovereignty and the use of new content distribution services, the socio-cultural[…]

Resources about First Nations Community Networks

Read more about First Nations Community Networks and Aboriginal-led broadband development projects in Canada French Publication #35-F Read more than 70 stories of First Nations community broadband development located on this website Explore these stories on a Google Map that shows their distribution across Canada Digital Divides and the ‘First Mile’: Framing First Nations Broadband[…]

Learn more about Northwestern’s Modernization Plan

Download Northwestel’s updated Modernization Plan (Jan 16, 2013) Download Northwestel’s original Modernization Plan (July 3, 2012) Download Northwestel’s response to several requests to disclose information ( Feb 15, 2012) Visit Northwestel’s website about the hearings. Frequently asked questions from the company Summary – Modernization Plan (from CRTC website) Northwestel’s Modernization Plan outlined the details of a projected[…]