This guide provides an overview of active and historical broadband funding mechanisms provided by government departments and funding agencies at the federal level. We are presenting this information to support the accessibility of these funds for community-based organizations, and specifically for Indigenous organizations. Many of these funds are also available to private-sector entities. While telecommunications[…]
This report prepared by the FMCC team for Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) addresses research on digital technology adoption in remote and northern First Nation and Inuit communities. It summarizes the major elements of our project, including the literature review, identification of primary and secondary data sources, methodologies, strategies and research questions, and[…]
PROJECT TITLE: Supporting Indigenous Resurgence with Digital Technologies PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: David Perley, Director, MWC, Education, UNB CO-INVESTIGATOR: Susan O’Donnell, Adjunct Professor, Sociology, UNB PROJECT DATES: April 11 to October 16, 2016 BRIEF DESCRIPTION: The project will produce a comprehensive literature review answering the question, how can digital technologies support Indigenous resurgence and learning of Indigenous cultures and[…]
FMCC Delegation at CRTC Hearings L-to-R: Heather Hudson, Rob McMahon, Penny Carpenter, Tim Whiteduck, Marc Awashish Indigenous Communications Providers Propose Fund for Northern Broadband April 11, 2016 Gatineau, Quebec: Today, representatives from regional First Nations technology organizations presented their proposals for funding to extend broadband in northern and isolated regions that have been ignored by[…]
The FMCC was contracted by Industry Canada to provide research on digital technology adoption in northern and remote Indigenous communities. The work is currently underway. The scope includes a literature review, and exploring and testing different methodologies for measuring digital technology adoption. These results will be useful not only for policy makers but also for[…]
By Jennifer Leask For some people living in Haida Gwaii, better internet connectivity and local economic development go hand-in-hand. The efforts of these tech-savvy islanders aren’t focused on catching up with urban residents – they are about taking the lead. Patrick Shannon is one of those people. The 26-year-old Haida man grew up in Skidegate,[…]
Yesterday (September 21) the First Mile Connectivity Consortium (FMCC) submitted details about the need for affordable, accessible broadband in remote, northern and Indigenous communities. We also provided information about some of the many innovative ways that people in these communities are developing and using broadband for applications like health, education, justice and economic development. Our[…]
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[…]
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[…]
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[…]