A collaboration between Piikani Youth Empowerment Strategies (Piikani Nation Secondary School and Peigan Board of Education) and the Faculty of Extension at the University of Alberta has received funding from the Internet Society’s Beyond the Net program. The project, titled Exploring digital literacy through the Piikani Cultural and Digital Literacy Camp Program, builds on a[…]
An article based on FMCC efforts at the CRTC is now published in the Journal of Information Policy. The article is co-authored by FMCC researchers Rob McMahon, Trevor Smith, and Tim Whiteduck. Reclaiming Geospatial Data and GIS Design for Indigenous-led Telecommunications Policy Advocacy: A Process Discussion of Mapping Broadband Availability in Remote and Northern Regions[…]
The following article was posted by the Canadian Internet Registration Authority. CIRA’s Community Investment Program celebrates its fifth year – Part 2: The First Mile Connectivity Consortium CIRA is embarking on the fifth year of its Community Investment Program. Canadian not-for-profits doing good things for and through the internet can apply for a CIRA grant[…]
This resource will be helpful for municipal and local governments interested in community broadband. Developed by Craig Dobson and Jennifer Massig from Taylor-Warwick Consulting, this presentation is from the Nov 2017 Digital Futures conference in Westlock, AB. It addresses several questions and points of interest for local governments interested in community broadband : How do we build[…]
FMCC is participating in CRTC 2017-112 “Development of the Commission’s broadband funding regime”. These public proceedings examine matters related to the establishment of the broadband funding regime, including its governance, operating, and accountability frameworks, as well as eligibility and assessment criteria for proposed projects. For more information, the public notice is posted here. Requests for Information in CRTC 2017-122:[…]
Next week, the Indigenous Connectivity Summit (ICS) will be a unique event focused on connecting Indigenous communities in North America to the Internet. This community-led forum will showcase success stories of Indigenous community networks in Canada, the United States and around the globe to help find solutions to improve Internet access for all. The event[…]
In early October, FMCC filed a submission to a parliamentary study on rural broadband. In our submission, we welcomed the Standing Committee’s focus on improving connectivity through an approach that demonstrates its impact on local rural economies, including community engagement. We stressed the opportunities that this project can have on local communities: that is, provide benefit[…]
See below for a message from our colleagues at the Internet Society — the First Mile Connectivity Consortium is a partner in this upcoming event: If you plan to attend the Indigenous Connectivity Summit but haven’t registered yet, please do so today! We’ve got a great line up of speakers from across Canada, the U.S.[…]
Members of Maskwacis First Nation in Alberta can now access free WiFi, thanks to the efforts of local tech entrepreneur Bruce Buffalo. Visit the website for Mamawapowin Technology Society Bruce has developed a system that offers four free access points in his community. Community members can connect to the network through a web-based gateway, which[…]
Yesterday (Aug 24) the CRTC released its decision denying Northwestel’s request to be forborne from regulation of the Wholesale Connect service in light of the Mackenzie Valley Fibre Link. From the CRTC’s announcement: The Commission denies an application by Northwestel for requesting forbearance from the regulation of its Wholesale Connect service in the communities served[…]