b'CONNECTIVITYBands Entlqwekkinh19 and Kloklowuck 7; Squamish Nations Cheakamus 11; and Upper Nicola Bands Nicola Lake 1. The project is part of the provinces promise to provide $830 millionUNUSED WIRELESS SPECTRUMto expand high-speed internet to rural and First Nations house-holds across the province.One novel solution that was considered to provide Alberta is home to another key initiative. Arrow TechnologyIndigenous communities in Canada with better Group, a broadband service company, is building one of theinternet access involved giving them access to largest residential fiber internet networks connecting ruralunused wireless spectrum. First Nations and Mtis settlements in the Prairie province. AsSpectrum refers to radio frequencies used by of January 2023, the company had connected 11 Nations, withcommunication over the airwaves. To avoid interfer-construction ongoing in nine more communities.ence and overcrowding, the use of different frequen-The project consists of multiple infrastructure initiatives, such ascies is heavily regulated by the federal government. upgrades to wireless towers and the installation of fiber cables.In December 2021, a coalition of First Nation leaders It represents the largest project Arrow has ever undertaken incalled on Ottawa to open access in order to bring the companys 13-year history, adding 335 kilometres of fiberthe internet to their communities. cable to the communities. Our goal is to provide every house- Over 60 chiefs from across B.C., Alberta, hold in that community with a 50 megabit per second down- Saskatchewan and Ontario delivered a letter load speed connection with 10 megabit per second uploads atto Franois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of a minimum, says Brayden Arcand, team lead and junior exec- Innovation, Science and Industry, asking him to utive manager at Arrow Technology Group.provide this access. It followed the example of a similar policy passed in the U.S. that gave their The digital divide that our country faces is not just about havingIndigenous tribes access to similar unusedinternet access, its about having access to educational oppor- wireless spectrum. tunities, having access to quality health care remotely, havingA pilot project was launched in spring 2021 with access to commerce for the ability to buy and sell goods, adds12 Indigenous communities across the Prairies. Ehren Cory, CEO of Canada Infrastructure Bank, which hasHowever, in practice, only four of the communities invested in the initiative.were allowed access to the unused spectrum, and only for one year. There are also some First Nation-led and majority-owned proj-ects taking place, like Pathways to Technology. This B.C. projectAfter the year was up, their access was not renewed, is working towards connecting all 203 of the provinces Firstand funding was not approved for further use. Nations to high-speed internet. Managed by All Nations TrustThe spectrum involved in the pilot project is now Company, it is the largest and most complex First Nationsrestricted and reserved for TV broadcasting.connectivity initiative in the country. The pandemic has shown us once again that connectivity is vital to every aspect of life, says Ruth Williams, Pathways to Technology project manager.need to do their part in building the capacity to understand, maintain, repair and upgrade new or existing broadband The Connectivity Gap is even more pronounced in Nunavut,infrastructure. where there are 50 square kilometres of land for every person in the territory. Rankin Inlet-based Nukik Corporation is workingThis involves a focus on autonomy and independence, because on an ambitious initiative that will build 1,200 kilometres ofwithout capacity you have reliance on outside assistance, and hydro electrical and fiber optic lines from Gillam Manitoba tothe expertise is not passed on. Even with access to broadband the Kivalliq region. The project is just in its opening stages, butinternet and infrastructure, if capacity to maintain and operate once completed in 2030, it will bring clean energy and high- is not present, then connectivity will be a short-term solution speed broadband to the region. with an overreliance on outside help. This project is Inuit-led and will bring numerous economicAs a result, solving the Connectivity Gap requires building tech-opportunities for Nunavummiut and will dramatically improvenical expertise among the people who will best be served by public service for sectors such as health and education, Konohigh-speed broadband. This meaningful inclusion goes beyond Tattuinee, president of Kivalliq Inuit Association, says. The ambi- just a check-box exercise; it puts the power and participation tious plan has a lifespan of 60-plus years and its estimated itinto the hands of Indigenous people. will generate $8 billion in revenue over 50 years, as well as an additional $3 billion to Nunavuts GDP during its construction.Some First Nations are building capacity through educational It too represents another massive step forward in closing thetraining, trade skills, and early access to technical trades. The Connectivity Gap. Siksika Nation, located along the banks of the Bow River in southern Alberta, is one of them.CAPACITYIn the end, a comprehensive solution is not just about buildingOne of the largest First Nations in the country by size, the the towers and installing the cables. Indigenous communitiescommunity has historically struggled with internet connectivity, Aboriginal BUSINESS REPORT 69'