With the Siksika Nation Internet Connectivity Project, Siksika Nation will be one of Canada’s first, First Nation-owned and operated fiber-to-the-premises networks. The Blackfoot Tech Council has successfully raised capital to bring high-speed broadband internet to every single home, business, facility on Siksika Nation.
The digital divide is a current and increasing reality for Siksika. In 2019, reported median download speed on Siksika Nation was 6.13 Mbps and upload speed was 1.81 Mbps. A 2021 community survey was completed to update these statistics, complete with comprehensive, Nation-wide internet speed testing; results indicated an average 9.54Mbps download speed and 5.10Mbps upload speed – nowhere near Canada’s targeted 50/10Mbps.
Enhanced residential and commercial internet services will be delivered via SiksikaTel, a Siksika Nation-owned entity that operates a broadband internet communications network to distribute internet, voice, and TV services to Siksika Nation and surrounding areas. Infrastructure upgrades will include a mix of wireless and wired/fiber solutions, for comprehensive coverage of Siksika Nation. SiksikaTel’s existing wireless towers are incorporated into the network design as they are ideally located for Siksika’s topography and population distribution. Siksika’s centrally located, densely populated household clusters, which make up two-thirds of Siksika’s total residences, will be connected via fiber to the premises.
