Backgrounder: CRTC making it easier to connect Indigenous communities to high-speed Internet and cellphone services

The CRTC launched the Broadband Fund in 2019 to help ensure that all Canadians, regardless of where they live, have access to fast and reliable Internet and cellphone services.

To date, the fund has helped connect 135 Indigenous communities to high-speed Internet and cellphone services. Many Indigenous communities continue to face a gap in access to these services. To help close this gap, the CRTC is collaborating with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities to develop a new way for Indigenous applicants to apply to the Broadband Fund, called the Indigenous stream.

The Indigenous stream of the Broadband Fund will provide a tailored way to access funding that aims to reduce barriers for Indigenous applicants. The goal is to make it easier for Indigenous communities to get connected to high-speed Internet and cellphone services.

Broadband Fund policy review

In March 2023, the CRTC launched a consultation to review the Broadband Fund policy to make it easier and faster for applicants to receive funding. During the consultation, the CRTC received feedback that Indigenous applicants face barriers when applying to the fund.

As part of that consultation, the CRTC announced its intention to develop an Indigenous stream of the Broadband Fund to help address these barriers. The CRTC decided that a separate process was necessary to ensure comprehensive and respectful engagement with Indigenous parties, which is now being launched.

In December 2024, the CRTC published its first decision from the broader policy review. This included improvements to reduce barriers for Indigenous applicants—for example, providing upfront funding to Indigenous-led projects—and increase requirements for community engagement and consent by Indigenous communities.

The Indigenous stream of the Broadband Fund will build on these improvements and aim to provide more support for Indigenous applicants.

Collaboration with Indigenous groups and communities

Prior to the process launched today, the CRTC engaged with Indigenous peoples to help advance reconciliation and better understand barriers faced by Indigenous applicants.

Since January 2024, the CRTC’s Indigenous Relations Team and the Broadband Fund team have been conducting meetings and feedback sessions with Indigenous telecommunications service providers, national Indigenous organizations, Indigenous governments, and other Indigenous organizations.

This engagement has provided valuable insights that helped the CRTC develop the process to create the Indigenous stream.

New process to develop the Indigenous stream of the Broadband Fund

Through this process, the CRTC aims to work collaboratively with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, organizations, and businesses to identify how the new stream can better meet their needs when applying for funding.

In this process, the CRTC is examining the following topics:

• An application and funding process that better meets the needs of Indigenous applicants.
• Simplified reporting requirements tailored to Indigenous funding recipients.
• Additional eligible costs to address the unique cost-related barriers for Indigenous applicants.

Full participation details can be found in the Notice of Consultation and the CRTC’s website.

Next steps

A draft of the proposed Indigenous stream will be put on the record prior to the CRTC’s final decision. This will give all parties an opportunity to provide their final comments before the Indigenous stream is launched.

Once implemented, the new stream of the Broadband Fund will build on existing efforts to connect more Indigenous communities to high-speed Internet and cellphone services.

Related products

• CRTC making it easier to connect Indigenous communities to high-speed Internet and cellphone services