Starlink pilot program

Introduction

Alberta's government is working to improve access to reliable high-speed internet – 50 megabits per second (Mbps) for downloads and 10 Mbps for uploads, or better – for remote, rural communities. With our Alberta Broadband Strategy, we are aiming to provide access to connectivity across this province by 2027.

As the infrastructure for land-based high-speed internet is not currently possible in some remote communities, a limited program is being piloted to test the feasibility of a high-speed satellite internet rebate program. This pilot will run from November 16, 2023 to February 16, 2024.

The pilot uses low earth orbit (LEO) satellite technology. This type of technology is used:

• primarily in areas with very low population densities and challenging terrain
• when the distance from existing infrastructure would usually mean that fibre-to-the-home and fixed wireless access are not feasible solutions

The pilot is limited to households and businesses in select areas – in Cardston County, the County of Warner No. 5 and the County of Forty Mile – that are not covered by approved broadband funding programs, such as the Universal Broadband Fund and Alberta Broadband Fund.