The Alberta government will announce in November which telecommunications company it is hiring to bring high speed internet access to rural areas of the province.
Jeremy Fritsche, of Alberta’s innovation and science department, said the province wants rural residents to have the same level of internet service as what’s available in the cities.
Urban internet users have had high speed, broad-band access for several years, allowing them to access sounds and pictures as well as text.
“We liken it to a postage stamp,” said Fritsche. “It will be the same cost whether in a small town or city or farm.”
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The advance will open opportunities for distance education, telemedicine and e-commerce, he said.
“Manyberries has three students in Grade 12. With distance education capability, they can get more courses for them … Farmers are savvy users of the internet, too.”
Fritsche wouldn’t say how much the project will cost. It will be completed in 2003.
Graham Fletcher, whose company was one of nine bidding on the project, said the province is spending $200 million.
He said the new technology could attract more people to live in rural Alberta because they would be able to work from home, teleconferencing with their offices via high speed access. The faster connection will improve contact between students and a teacher in another location, or among doctors, patients and hospitals because they will be able to talk and interact face-to-face with high resolution video.
“Humans need to see the other person’s face and get their reaction to what you say,” said Fletcher.
Saskatchewan is also promoting the latest technology. Economic development minister Janice MacKinnon told reporters in Saskatoon recently that SaskTel, the crown-owned telephone company, is working to improve rural access to high speed internet connections.
Twelve rural communities in Saskatchewan have high speed access, and MacKinnon hopes that number will increase to 250 by the end of 2005.
“We see the need for high speed internet in rural areas to increase educational opportunities and access for business.”
Manitoba has set up a committee to look at broad-band service and what it can do for rural residents.
British Columbia residents can expect a number of pilot projects in the next six months that will explore various aspects of internet technology, said agriculture department official John Barry.
While the province’s technological effort is “kind of in its infancy,” Barry said B.C.’s range of commodities, cultures and geography will require different services. The education, health and industry departments are approaching the technology from different needs and Barry could not say how much money the province will spend to expand access and knowledge of the technology.
The agriculture department will be setting up Infobasket, a gathering of resources and contacts for producers. An upcoming pilot project will be for organic and ornamental plant growers.
