- Award follows after Arcadis helps Clearwater County secure CDN $62 million in five separate grants from the federal government’s Universal Broadband Fund and the Alberta Broadband Strategy
- Broadband program aims to significantly improve internet connectivity and enhance quality of life in rural west central Alberta, supporting remote work, telehealth, education, social engagement, and emergency services
July 22, 2024 – Arcadis (EURONEXT: ARCAD), a leading global design and consultancy firm, is pleased to announce that it has been selected by Clearwater County, a municipal district in rural west central Alberta, to design and project manage the implementation of a fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband network within its community. The initiative is made possible through the recent awarding to the County of more than CDN $62 million in grants under the federal government’s Universal Broadband Fund and the provincial government’s Alberta Broadband Strategy. Arcadis will deliver these solutions under its newly formed Woven Smart Arcadis Solutions line of business.
This critical program aims to enhance internet connectivity for thousands of residents and businesses across Clearwater County, whose municipal office is in the Town of Rocky Mountain House, Alta. The awarded grants mark a critical step in improving the ability of Clearwater County’s homes and businesses to connect to a reliable and affordable broadband Internet network and allow for long-term sustainable economic development within the County.
Keith Ponton, Woven’s Calgary-based Director and Global Telecoms Senior Practice Lead for Arcadis, said: “With this FTTH broadband network initiative, Clearwater County is demonstrating its leadership among Alberta’s many rural communities by developing a comprehensive telecommunication network that will dramatically improve the quality of life of its citizens and provide the kind of reliable and affordable access to broadband services needed to eliminate the digital divide between rural communities and their urban counterparts.”
Clearwater County’s broadband program is a community-driven effort to enhance digital connectivity in rural Alberta, with the intention to support sustainable economic development, including remote work, telehealth, education, social engagement, emergency services, and more. Once operational, it will offer residents and businesses faster, more reliable Internet at competitive prices, delivered through an open access network model.
Struggling with limited internet access due to inadequate telecommunication infrastructure across rural and remote regions of Alberta, Clearwater County partnered with Arcadis in 2023 to develop a broadband strategy that included federal and provincial grant application support, FTTH network design, program costing, and operational planning. This collaboration ultimately led to the County securing the five UBF grants announced by the federal government on June 14, 2024.
“Through dedicated efforts, Clearwater County Administration has played a crucial role in realizing the Council’s vision for this project. This announcement signifies an incredible opportunity for Clearwater County, and we are excited about the positive influence that improved connectivity will bring to our valued residents, businesses, and overall economic prosperity,” said Reeve Michelle Swanson, Clearwater County Division 7 Councillor. “Our commitment in finalizing the essential details and information will be shared as it becomes available. Together, we are forging a brighter, more connected future for Clearwater County.”
Arcadis’ scope of work with the County has included providing ongoing consultation services in the development of a full telecommunications network, including a financial business plan framework, conceptual and detailed design services, program RFP development, RFP review and award, community engagement, program management oversight, reporting management and network fibre optic asset management services.
These types of initiatives perfectly illustrate Woven’s ability to deliver support at every stage of the broadband development life cycle, from engagement (strategy development, feasibility assessments, and grant funding application) to empowerment (design and construction, and asset management) and, ultimately, to the full exchange of services (community services, and network provisioning and management).
