Clearwater County Broadband Project

Executive Overview

Clearwater County is undertaking a transformative $119 million broadband infrastructure project to bridge the digital divide in rural west-central Alberta. After over two decades of planning, the project launched in earnest in 2025 with secured funding of approximately $83 million (70%) from federal and provincial grants.945rewindradio+5​

Core Business Model

The County has adopted an Open Access Network (OAN) model, representing best practice for municipal broadband. This three-layer structure includes:market.cwcbb+2​

1. Infrastructure Layer: County-owned fibre-optic network (360+ km) and wireless towersclearwatercounty+1​

2. Network Operations: Professional management by RSG Telecom with 24/7 monitoringclearwatercounty+2​

3. Retail Services: Multiple competing ISPs (Missing Link Internet, Stoney Nakoda Telecom, Bearspaw Networks, Mage Networks)clearwatercounty​

Financial Projections

Revenue Model:img1.wsimg​

• Wholesale access charges: $65/month (residential), $80/month (business)

• Connection fees: $1,500 standard installation (discounted for early adopters)

• Target coverage: 85% of 4,800 occupied dwellingsclearwatercounty+1​

Conservative Financial Outlook:

• Break-even projected within 7-10 years at 50-60% take rates

• Annual operating costs: $1.37M - $1.90M

• Revenue at 50% adoption: $1.87M annually

• Economic impact studies show 8.6x return on public investment in similar rural broadband projectsgov+1​

Implementation Timeline

Five-Stage Rollout (2025-2027):945rewindradio+1​

• 2025 Capital Budget: $43.7 million allocated for construction945rewindradio+1​

• Phased deployment combining fibre backbone with wireless tower coverage

• Public engagement through open houses and virtual sessions

• Four ISPs already on-boarded with more anticipated

Strategic Advantages

The project positions Clearwater County competitively by:

• Providing future-proof infrastructure with 50+ year lifespanclearwatercounty+1​

• Enabling speeds up to 1 Gbps (fibre) vs. current rural average of <4 Mbpsclearwatercounty+1​

• Supporting economic development through remote work, telehealth, and agricultural technologycbc+2​

• Creating community ownership with revenues reinvested locallyruralconnect+2​

Critical Success Factors

Key elements ensuring project viability:iqgeo+1​

1. Strong political leadership and 20+ years of sustained advocacycbc+1​

2. Secured grant funding covering 70% of costsarcadis+1​

3. Technical partnerships with Woven Smart Arcadis Solutions and RSG Telecomfinancialpost+2​

4. Open Access model reducing County operational complexityabmunis+1​

5. Multiple ISPs fostering competition and service qualityclearwatercounty​

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