[Advisors] info needed re govt programs

[James Van Leeuwen]

Hi Marita, 

I had been waiting for the outcome of the Alberta election before responding.

Based on the outcome, I am less confident about an approach I have been advocating for here in Alberta.

Alberta has legacy legislation that enables development of rural utility co-ops:

https://kings-printer.alberta.ca/1266.cfm?page=R21.cfm&leg_type=Acts&isbncln=9780779840885 <https://kings-printer.alberta.ca/1266.cfm?page=R21.cfm&leg_type=Acts&isbncln=9780779840885>

Part 1
Rural Utility Associations

Incorporation

Application to incorporate
3(1) Five or more persons who desire to be associated together in a

co-operative association with the following objects may apply to be incorporated under this Act:

(a) the principal object of supplying any one or more of the following to the association’s members primarily in a rural area:

	(i) electricity;

	(ii)  natural gas;

	(iii)  water, primarily for domestic use;

	(iv)  sewage disposal;

(b) any other secondary object that is permitted under the regulations. 


A ’secondary object’ is any of the other three listed utilities that isn’t the principal object of an Association.

For almost fifteen years now, I've been pressing the government to add open access data utilities to this list with a heavy emphasis on open access fibre.

So far, there has been virtually no capacity in the Alberta government to grasp the relevance and potency of this approach to accelerating rural broadband development. 

There was little if any traction outside of government until COVID, which brought the need for robust rural connectivity more sharply into focus.

In recent months, a provincial non-profit initiative focused on rural broadband development has shown active interest in the concept.

However, their interest was rooted in the prospect of a change in provincial government after the recent election. 

No such luck, and for now I have no idea whether their interest is still active. 

I will keep TC posted if/when there are any related developments. 


James




> On Jun 1, 2023, at 2:07 AM, Marita Moll <mmoll at ca.inter.net> wrote:
> 
> Hello Advisors. Just wanted to thank Garth, Kathryn and Clarice for responding to this request. If there is any info available from Alberta, Quebec or Maritimes -- please send what you can re different approaches to access. 
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Marita
> 
> On 2023-05-26 1:00 p.m., Marita Moll wrote:
>> Hello advisors. I will be attending ICANN77 in Washington D.C. in a couple of weeks. There is a roundtable discussion:
>> 
>> "Government efforts to expand Broadband Access in the US and Canada" will explore and critique federal, state and local initiatives to make broadband more available, affordable and usable. The panel will look at different approaches taking place in urban, rural and Indigenous communities and how these efforts are progressing, including programs seeking to improve access, financial affordability, device availability and end user activation.
>> Date: Monday 12 June - 10:45- 12:15 
>> 
>> One of our members from National Capital Freenet -- Andrew Marty Asare will be speaking remotely about some work he and NCF are doing on the ground to get people connected. I am also on that panel. I am wondering if any of you have examples I can use about how you are working with government programs to fill the connectivity gap -- and how that is working out -- or not. This is about different approaches -- and I am sure some of you have some examples to offer.
>> 
>> Many thanks
>> 
>> Marita
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
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