Third-Year Report, 2004-2005

The federal government has already taken steps towards this end with the Broadband for Rural and Northern Development (BRAND) program and the National Satellite Initiative (NSI). However, once these two programs are fully implemented and the industry has expanded services where it makes economic sense, there will likely be some 1,700 communities and approximately 575 First Nations reserves that will still be left un-reached with broadband communications. This represents over one third of Canadian communities and 5% of the Canadian population. Further efforts will be needed to link these communities to the data network infrastructure.

Furthermore, even if a community has access to broadband, many of its residents may not. This is especially true in rural areas, where the population density beyond a central town or village may be too low to make it cost effective using current technologies.

The Communications Research Centre Canada (CRC), an agency of Industry Canada, is dedicated to developing appropriate technologies for connecting Canadians and increasing their capacity to communicate, learn and innovate via broadband technology.

In April 2002, CRC launched the Rural and Remote Broadband Access (RRBA) Program, a five-year initiative to support R&D into cost-effective technologies for bringing broadband services to Canada’s rural and remote areas. Milestones of the third year of the RRBA program are detailed in this report. Information on the successful commercialization and outcomes from the program can be found in the Technology Transfer section.