Media Release: Parkland County Council Moves Forward with Broadband

PARKLAND COUNTY, AB – Parkland County is moving forward with the development of a broadband strategy to improve the quality of county resident’s internet service.

Council has approved the use of up to $30,000 for the development of the strategy and for applications for additional funding through government and private sector opportunities. This is the next step in improving rural internet services and availability in Parkland County.

“This is a top priority for me. Broadband internet service is a necessary utility, and improving internet service in the County will keep our residents and businesses connected,” Parkland County Mayor Allan Gamble explained.

Parkland County is proud to be investing in the future of broadband and anticipates many benefits for our rural residents and local businesses. The County is working on a fibre-to-home conceptual plan and evaluating the possibility of partnerships with the private sector, grant funding opportunities and collaboration with neighboring municipalities.

“I’ve heard clearly from county residents that they are concerned about the quality of rural internet. Our council is very eager to work towards improving internet reliability and speed for our residents and businesses throughout the County,” Mayor Gamble added.  

Broadband Assessment Findings

A Broadband Assessment Strategy was prepared for Parkland County to assess broadband needs and assets in the county. The assessment’s findings revealed that a large percentage of respondents have very poor internet service. Out of those who completed an internet speed test, 91.6 per cent of tests did not meet the minimum standard set by Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications, and Eighty per cent of respondents said they use cellphone data to get better service. Other survey responses showed that overall, residents desire increased reliability at a reasonable cost and increased speeds.

Parkland County would like to acknowledge the support of the Federal Government through Prairies Economic Development Canada for financially supporting this assessment.

For more information about this news release, please contact: communications@parklandcounty.com