CONNECTING. the. RURAL BROADBAND COVERAGE STUDY FINAL PUBLIC REPORT (November 2011)

CONNECTING DOTS ALBERTA the RURAL BROADBAND COVERAGE STUDY FINAL PUBLIC REPORT (November 2011)

Connecting the Dots: Public Version Alberta Rural Broadband Coverage Study (2011) Written by Allan Bly, ViTel Consulting Inc. In partnership with the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts & Counties and the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association Funding support provided by the Government of Alberta Published by the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts & Counties

1/ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY... 4 2/ INTRODUCTION... 5 3/ DEFINITIONS... 6 4/ WIRELESS SERVICES... 8 5/ OUT-OF-SCOPE... 11 6/ PROJECT PHASES... 13 7/ METHODOLOGY... 15 8/ RESULTS... 22 9/ DISCUSSION... 29 10/ LESSONS LEARNED... 33 11/ SUMMARY... 35 APPENDIX... 36 TABLE OF CONTENTS Alberta Rural Broadband Coverage Study 3

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1/ This broadband coverage study is the first step in solving a complex problem. Enabling broadband access is a long-term investment in rural Alberta s and its ability to build community capacity and initiate economic development. Communications and business applications are merging. Vendors such as IBM and Microsoft are now developing software that integrates communications with business applications, with the expectation that the end user has access to reliable broadband coverage. All levels of the Government of Alberta are beginning to implement these communication integrated applications to support education, health and community-based programs. Delivering these programs to rural communities implies that the community has access to broadband services. Reliable broadband is no longer a nice to have, but a must have for all rural communities. This broadband coverage study is the first step in solving a complex problem. When there is already a well-established community of Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) that provide broadband services to rural residents and businesses, how can broadband access be built that will be able to support a rural community s coverage and capacity requirements today and in the future? The objective of this study was to estimate the remaining unserved areas in Alberta. The areas studied included: Townships Municipal Districts Specialized Municipalities Special Areas Improvement Districts Cities Métis Settlements The study excluded the seven large municipalities of Calgary, Edmonton, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and Red Deer as they were deemed to be served by one or more Internet Service Providers (ISPs). During the study, a broadband coverage analysis was completed for each township, town, village, summer village, hamlet, First Nations and Métis settlements in the province. The primary objective of the analysis was to estimate if an area is either Served or Unserved. Fixed wireless broadband services are available in served areas and not available in unserved areas. In order to reduce the complexity of the study the province was divided into five project districts. The study was completed in four phases for each project district. The phases included: 1. Data Collection 2. Site Verification and Discovery 3. Coverage Maps 4. Coverage Analysis Towns Villages Summer Villages Hamlets First Nations The outcome of the study was a comprehensive coverage map for each project district. The project district coverage maps may be used as a reference for any future broadband initiatives. The uniqueness of each project district must be considered prior to creating and implementing a solution to provide broadband coverage in the unserved areas. (Appendix A: District 1 Project District Coverage) In the data collection phase, the WISPs were asked to provide detailed technical data and the GPS coordinates for each of their sites. A site can be a tower, building, or pole and used to connect the residents and businesses in the area to the Internet. A total of 1,848 sites were identified during the study. The majority of the WISPs consider this technical data confidential and as a result did not provide the data required. To compensate for the lack of technical data, a 2.4 GHz template was created and used to estimate the broadband coverage for each site. This template introduced an estimated 15% error rate in the coverage estimate which will result in areas that are currently served to be classified as unserved. 4 Connecting the Dots

The results show that coverage in the municipal districts, improvement districts and special areas range from 0% coverage in the Municipal District of Ranchland to greater than 90% coverage in municipal districts such as Grande Prairie and Parkland County. All of 108 towns and 95 villages were classified as served, 7 out of 44 summer villages and 55 hamlets were classified as unserved. Metis and First Nations communicates were also studied during this analysis to determine their level of service. This study is only the first step to ensuring that all rural residents and businesses have access to reliable broadband services today and in the future. Moving forward, it is important to engage the Municipal Districts, Towns, Villages, Summer Villages, Hamlets, First Nations, Métis Settlements, Wireless Internet Service Providers and rural residents and businesses in any future broadband initiatives. The results of this study are a snap shot of the broadband coverage in Alberta. As time goes by, new initiatives, technologies and towers will make these maps become less accurate with age. The AAMDC conducted a Rural Broadband Gap Analysis survey in 2009. The results of this survey were used to create rural broadband maps indicating the areas where broadband services are available (served) and where broadband services are not available (unserved). (Appendix B: AAMDC Sample Coverage Map (2009)) Recent federal, provincial, municipal and private sector projects have and will continue to result in, improved broadband access in a number of unserved areas. These programs include: The Rural Connections: Community Broadband Infrastructure Pilot Program has funded broadband infrastructure, testing, feasibility and outreach and extension programs. The program allocated $10.4 million for 34 projects. A complete list of projects approved for funding is available at: http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/csi12826 The Broadband Canada-Connecting Rural Canadians Program approved funding for projects in Alberta and elsewhere in Canada. Canada s Economic Action Plan provided $225 million for the development and implementation of a strategy to extend broadband coverage. By far the biggest component of this strategy is Broadband Canada: Connecting Rural Canadians, an initiative that targets Canadians living in unserved and underserved areas. Additional information is available at: http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/719.nsf/ eng/00050.html (Appendix C: Broadband Canada Fund Projects Proposed Coverage Footprint) In August 2010 the Canadian Radio-Television Commission (CRTC) directed telecom firms to use a portion of deferral account funds to improve broadband infrastructure in rural communities in Alberta and elsewhere. TELUS had $163 million in its deferral account. TELUS initially proposed spending the fund on the delivery of broadband to 334 rural communities in BC, Alberta and Quebec. Additional information is available at http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2008/dt2008-1.htm (Appendix D: Alberta Deferral Communities) While these and other funding initiatives will help to close the rural broadband gap, areas remain in Alberta where broadband services continue to be unavailable. Alberta Rural Broadband Coverage Study 52/ INTRODUCTION

6 Connecting the Dots 3/ DEFINITIONS 1/ ACCESS POINT (AP) Access Points are installed on towers, buildings and poles. An AP is used to establish a fixed wireless network to a rural subscriber s residence or business. An access point connects wirelessly with a subscriber module to provide a broadband service. 2/ AGGREGATION RATIO Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) purchase backhaul bandwidth to the Public Internet from wholesale providers such as TELUS, Bell, Shaw and Axia. The purchased bandwidth is backhauled to the geographical area where the WISP wishes to provide broadband services. The subscribers that connect to the WISP s network share the backhaul bandwidth. Prior to providing any broadband services the WISP will decide how many subscribers will share the bandwidth. This is called the aggregation ratio. The ratio is dependent upon the WISP s management practices and can vary from 5 to 1 (five subscribers share the bandwidth) to as high as 100 to 1. Generally, as the aggregation ratio increases, subscriber bandwidth decreases and connection speeds are slower. 3/ BACKHAUL NETWORK A broadband network is comprised of three components: (1) Access network to the rural subscriber s residence or business, (2) Backhaul network from the access network to the closest SuperNet Point-of-Presence (PoP), (3) Backbone network from the Point-of-Presence (PoP) to the Public Internet. 4/ BROADBAND Today the term broadband refers to the amount of bandwidth available to a subscriber. At one time broadband referred to bandwidth speeds of greater than 1.5 Mbps and narrowband referred to speeds of less than 1.5 Mbps. Example: A subscriber has broadband speeds of 5 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload. Broadband speeds are measured by the number of bits of data that are transferred over a network over a period of time (for example, one second). A bit is a binary digit and is basic unit of information in a computer or telecommunications system. Bits per second (bps) is normally measured in multiples of a thousand bits per second (kbps), million bits per second (Mbps), or billion (Gbps). 5/ dbm dbm is an abbreviation for the power ratio in decibels (db) of the measured power between an access point and a subscriber module. The lower the value, the lower the power between the access point and subscriber module. The typical maximum received signal power of a fixed wireless network is between -60 dbm and -90 dbm. 6/ DIGITAL SUBSCRIBERS LINE (DSL) DSL refers to a family of technologies that is used to provide broadband services over the twisted copper wire that connects a residence or business to the service provider s network. TELUS owns and operates the copper access network in Alberta. Third-Party Internet Service Providers are allowed to lease the copper wire from TELUS to provide broadband services to subscribers. This is called Dry DSL or Unbundled DSL. 7/ FIXED WIRELESS ACCESS (FWA) There are three types of wireless technologies that can be used to provide broadband services to a rural area: (1) Fixed Wireless Access, (2) Satellite Access, (3) Mobility Access. Fixed Wireless Access networks are comprised of fixed access points and subscriber modules.

8/ SERVED AREA Broadband services are available in a served area. A resident or business in a served area is able to purchase broadband services from an Internet Service Provider. 9/ SUBSCRIBER MODULE (SM) A subscriber module is installed on a subscriber s residence or business and used to establish a wireless connection to an access point. A subscriber module connects wirelessly with an access point to provide a broadband service. 10/ UNDERSERVED AREA Broadband services are available in an underserved area. A resident or business in an underserved area is able to purchase broadband services from an Internet Service Provider, but the area is deemed to be underserved because the download and upload speeds do not meet Industry Canada s minimum requirements of 1.5 Mbps (download) and 384 kbps (upload). The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), Canada s telecommunications regulator, has set targets for all Canadians to have access to broadband speeds of at least 5 Mbps for download and 1 Mbps for upload by 2015. (http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/com100/2011/r110503.htm) 11/ UNSERVED AREA Broadband services are not available in an unserved area. A resident or business in an unserved area is not able to purchase broadband services from a Wireless Internet Service Provider using Fixed Wireless Access (FWA). Residents or businesses in an unserved area may still be able to purchase broadband services from a satellite provider. 12/ WIRELESS INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER A Wireless Internet Service Provider provides broadband services to rural subscribers using wireless technologies such as Fixed Wireless Access, Satellite and Mobility. Alberta Rural Broadband Coverage Study 7

SERVICES 8 Connecting the Dots4/ WIRELESS There are three types of wireless services that can be used to provide broadband coverage to rural areas: 1. Fixed Wireless 2. Mobility 3. Satellite 4.1/ FIXED WIRELESS Fixed wireless services are provided by Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs). The WISPs deploy different fixed wireless technologies such as Wi-FI and WI-Max to provide broadband services to rural areas. The WISPs install access points on sites that are typically placed on a high point of ground near the geographical area they wish to serve. Sites can be built on towers, buildings, or poles. There can be one or more access points installed at each site. There were a total of 1848 sites identified in the study. Subscriber Modules are installed at the subscriber s premises. The WISP then implements a radio frequency between access point and the subscriber module creating a wireless connection. Figure 1: Fixed Wireless Services Household Dwelling Business Dwelling Subscriber Module Household Dwelling INTERNET Household Dwelling Backbone Network Access Point Cluster Common Equipment Industry Canada governs the use of radio frequencies and carves frequencies into bands and specifies how the bands can be used. These bands can be Licensed, Unlicensed, or Lightly Licensed. UNLICENSED\ Anyone is allowed to operate equipment in the unlicensed frequency bands as long as that equipment meets Industry Canada s power and antenna specifications for the band. Systems in the unlicensed bands are quick to deploy and generally cost less. The primary disadvantage to using unlicensed frequencies is interference between the WISPs. The following is a list of the unlicensed frequencies deployed by WISPs in Alberta: 902 928 MHz, 2.4 2.483.5 GHz and 5.15 5.825 GHz. LICENSED\ With licensed frequency bands, a WISP pays an annual fee to Industry Canada in exchange for an exclusive right to use a frequency in a specified area. Licensed radio systems are more expensive, but have higher throughput rates and are easier to guarantee reliability. The primary benefit to using licensed frequencies is no interference between service providers. Licensed frequencies held by WISPs in Alberta are 512 698 MHz, 2.3 GHz, 2.5 GHz and 3.5 GHz.

LIGHTLY LICENSED\ Lightly licensed frequency bands are a hybrid of the other two types. A WISP must register with Industry Canada and pay a nominal fee before using any equipment operating in the band. Although registration is required, this does not grant an exclusive right to use that frequency in any particular location. WISPs must still work with each other to mitigate any potential interference issues. Industry Canada is currently issuing lightly licensed spectrum in the 3650 3700 MHz bands An Industry Canada search was completed to estimate the WISPs that have implemented either licensed, unlicensed, or lightly licensed frequencies. The web site is available at: http://sd.ic.gc.ca/pls/engdoc_anon/web_search.licensee_name_input Table 1: WISP Frequencies Licensed Unlicensed Lightly Licensed WISPs 8 43 2 4.2/ MOBILITY Mobile networks are designed to provide both voice and data services to mobile subscribers. Examples of mobile providers are Bell, TELUS and Rogers. These providers are currently upgrading their current networks to Long Term Evolution (LTE). The LTE standard supports theoretical rates up to 56 Mbps on the downlink and 22 Mbps on the uplink. The actual bandwidth provided to the mobile subscriber will depend on the distance from the subscriber to the tower, tower height and terrain type. All mobile service providers have been actively improving their coverage in rural areas for the past three years. 4.3/ SATELLITE Satellite services are provided between a geostationary satellite and a subscriber s premises. The bandwidth per subscriber is dependent on the total number of subscribers accessing the network at one time, terrain type and weather conditions. The primary providers of satellite services in Alberta are XplorNet and Galaxy Broadband. Figure 2: Satellite Services provides an illustration of a typical satellite network. All mobile service providers have been actively improving their coverage in rural areas for the past three years. Figure 2: Satellite Services DISH (66 72 CM) SATELLITE VARIOUS CUSTOMERS WITHIN DIFFERENT BEAMS GATEWAY SM REMOTE TERMINAL (USER) DISH (66 72 CM) GATEWAY ROUTER INTERNET REMOTE TERMINAL (USER) SM Alberta Rural Broadband Coverage Study 9

The primary providers of satellite services in Alberta are XplorNet and Galaxy Broadband. Satellite technologies are continually being improved and fourth generation satellite services promise to deliver bandwidths near or better than fixed wireless services in the future. Table 2: Satellite Service Generations First & Second Third Fourth Generation Generation Generation Capability Unidirectional Bidirectional (Two Way) Bidirectional (Two Way) System Capacity <1 2 Gbps 3 10 Gbps 70 130 Gbps Typical Bandwidth/Subscriber 56 256 kbps 128 500 kbps 5 10 Mbps Third and fourth generation satellite services use regional spot beam technologies to provide coverage in the province. Satellite coverage is dependent upon the selected geographic location of the spot beams. Satellite coverage is dependent upon the selected geographic location of the spot beams. 10 Connecting the Dots

The study excluded the seven large municipalities of Calgary, Edmonton, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and Red Deer as they were deemed to be served by one or more Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Due to limited time and available budget the following were also classified as out-of-scope: Mobility Coverage Satellite Coverage Underserved Areas Quality of the User Experience 5.1/ MOBILITY COVERAGE There are three primary mobility providers in the province including TELUS, Bell and Rogers. Each of the providers has constructed an unknown number of tower sites in the province. The following site provides a listing of all the mobility towers in Canada: http://www.ertyu.org/steven_nikkel/cancellsites.html In order to complete a mobility coverage analysis the following would have to be provided by each of the mobility providers: Tower Coordinates and Height Radio Equipment Specifications The above information is considered confidential by the mobility providers and not available. 5.2/ SATELLITE COVERAGE Satellite services and coverage in Alberta is provided by XplorNet and Galaxy Broadband. Both providers currently use a number of satellite companies including Wildblue, Telesat and Spaceway. In the near future they will be providing fourth generation services using KA-SAT, ViaSat-1 and Jupiter satellite companies. The actual coverage footprint that each of these satellite providers has implemented in Alberta is considered to be confidential and not available. 5.3/ UNDERSERVED AREAS Identifying underserved areas that have less than minimum bandwidth speeds is difficult to estimate because many factors can impact the download and upload speeds. These include: Wireless Technology Wireless Frequency Access Point Height Total Number of Subscribers Available Backhaul Bandwidth Aggregation Ratios Service Packages Fair Access Policies Time-of-Day Underserved areas are typically identified by having the subscribers within an area conduct a series of broadband speed tests over a predefined period of time. The average of the speed tests could be used to estimate if the area is underserved. Alberta Rural Broadband Coverage Study 115/OUT-OF-SCOPE

Download and upload speeds are typically used to describe service quality. As an example, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is currently conducting a national consumer broadband test to estimate the underserved areas in the United States. The test is available at: http://www.broadband.gov/ 5.4/ QUALITY-OF-THE-USER EXPERIENCE Download and upload speeds are typically used to describe service quality. Other aspects of service quality are also important and are unrelated to bandwidth rates. Examples are: monthly rates, network outages, customer support and time-to-repair. The ability to measure the Quality-of-the-User Experience will become important in the near future. The Quality-of-the-User Experience is impacted by each of the service provider s internal management practices. The Quality-of-the-User Experience is measured by conducting an applicable survey of the subscribers within a specific area. The Quality-of-the-User Experience is impacted by each of the service provider s internal management practices. 12 Connecting the Dots

There are four project phases: 1. Data Collection 2. Site Verification and Discovery 3. Coverage Maps 4. Coverage Analysis The province was divided into five geographical project districts based on the AAMDC District Map. Each district is comprised of multiple municipal districts and rural municipalities. (Appendix H: Project Districts) 6.1/ PHASE I: DATA COLLECTION During this phase both Wireless Internet Service Providers and Wired Service Providers were contacted and asked to provide current and future network data for each of the districts. 6.1.1 WIRELESS INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS (WISP) Fifty-three (53) Wireless Internet Service Providers were contacted and asked to provide detailed data about their network including site coordinates and access point/subscriber module information. Most WISPs consider this information to be proprietary, however agreed to provide this information under a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) between the participating WISP and the project contractor, ViTel Consulting. The data collected was separated into four categories: 1. Data Provided Data was provided by the WISP. 2. Data Web Site Data was not provided by the WISP, but obtained from the WISP s web site. 3. Data Industry Canada Data not provided by the WISP, but obtained from the Industry Canada web site. 4. Data Not Available Data not provided by the WISP and not available from either at the WISP s web site or Industry Canada. 6.1.2 WIRED SERVICE PROVIDERS Wired Service Providers were contacted and asked to identify the municipalities where they provide wired broadband coverage. The following wired providers were contacted: TELUS Communications Shaw Communications Unbundled DSL Providers (E.g. Internet Centre) East Link Milk River Cable Rainbow Lake Cable All of the wired service providers responded to the study except: Milk River Cable, Rainbow Lake Cable and TELUS Communications. PHASES Alberta Rural Broadband Coverage Study 136/PROJECT

53 WISPs were contacted and asked to provide detailed data about their network 6.2/ PHASE II: SITE VERIFICATION & DISCOVERY This phase included the verification of the network data obtained in Phase I. Westcan Wireless was contracted to discover and verify the sites in Districts 1, 2 and 5. ViTel Consulting completed the discovery and verification in Districts 3 and 4. 6.2.1 SITE VERIFICATION The accuracy of the coverage study is dependent upon the accuracy of the network data provided by the WISPs. For that reason, it was imperative that the network data be verified. Using the Data-Provided data set, the following was verified at each site: Site GPS coordinates Height Total Number of Access Points Access Point Models 6.2.2 SITE DISCOVERY Using the Data Web Site and the Data Not Available data sets Westcan Wireless and ViTel Consulting were contracted to discover and verify the sites. Of the total number of sites categorized as either Data Web Site and Data Not Available, approximately 50% of the sites were discovered. The remaining sites that were not discovered had little or no impact on the study as all the areas were already included in the Data Provided data set. 6.3/ PHASE III: COVERAGE MAPS TaylorWarwick Consulting was contracted to create coverage maps based on the network data collected. Sophisticated propagation software was used to measure the maximum signal strength that can be expected at any geographical location. The propagation software required the manual entry of all sites within and near each area. The result was a best signal coverage map for each municipal district. Additional detail of the process and an example of a coverage map is available in Section 7: Methodology. 6.4/ PHASE IV: COVERAGE ANALYSIS The best signal coverage maps produced in Phase III were used to estimate if a township or municipality is either served or unserved. Additional detail and an example of the coverage analysis is available in Section 8: Methodology. 14 Connecting the Dots

A three-stage methodology was developed and completed in different phases of the study. (See Table 3: Stages and Phases) Table 3: Stages and Phases Stage Description Phases Stage 1 Data Collection 1 & 2 Stage 2 Coverage Maps 3 Stage 3 Coverage Analysis 4 7.1/ WORKFLOW DIAGRAM Figure 3: WorkFlow diagram provides an illustration of the three stages. First Nations STAGE 1 STAGE 2 STAGE 3 Municipal Affairs Municipality Workbook (.xls) Alberta Township Data (.shp) CRTC Deferral List Vector Data (.dat) Municipality Coverage Analysis Workbook Wired Providers Coverage WISP Workbook (.xls) Project District Workbook (.xls) Mentum Planet V5.3 (.tab) MapInfo Professional V11.0 (.wor) District Coverage Analysis Workbook WISP Network Data Alberta Clutter Data 7.2/ STAGE 1: DATA COLLECTION The study data was collected from multiple sources including: Municipal Affairs, CRTC Deferral List, Wired Providers Coverage Data, WISP Network Data, WISP Web Sites and Industry Canada. Details are as follows: ASCII WISP Web Sites ARCGIS Statistical Analysis AP/SM Data Industry Canada Service Alberta Alberta Agriculture 7/METHODOLOGY Alberta Rural Broadband Coverage Study 15

Industry Canada provides access to an on-line database that allows users to search for broadband sites that use licensed frequencies. 7.2.1 DATA SOURCES 1. First Nations Three web sites were used to collect location and coverage information for the Alberta First Nations: http://www.aboriginal.alberta.ca/documents/2011_metissettlementprofile.pdf http://www.aboriginal.alberta.ca/818.cfm http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/ai/scr/ab/index-eng.asp 2. Alberta Municipal Affairs The Government of Alberta Municipal Affairs web site was used to identify the location and contact information for all the municipal districts, cities, towns, villages, summer villages. Hamlet information is not available on the Municipal Affairs site. Hamlets are included as part of a municipal district. www.municipalaffairs.gov.ab.ca/mc_municipal_profiles.cfm 3. CRTC Deferral List List of municipalities that are on the CRTC deferral list. Appendix D: Alberta Deferral Communities 4. WIRED Providers Shaw Communications Inc. and TELUS Communications Inc. were contacted and asked to provide a list of the areas they serve. Shaw responded and provided a list of their service areas. TELUS Communications Inc. did not respond to the study. In order to determine which municipalities had DSL services, a Loop Quality Test was conducted for one or more addresses in each city and town. A Loop Quality Test is used to determine if the local loop to a subscriber s premises can support DSL services. The Loop Quality Test is available at: https://www. telus.com/order/loopqual/ 5. Wireless Internet Service Providers Network data provided by WISPs included GPS coordinates, access points and subscriber module information. The WISP network data is used to create the best signal maps in Stage 2. 6. WISP Web Sites WISPs provide network coverage information on their web sites. This coverage information was used in the verification and discovery phase of the study. 7. Industry Canada Industry Canada provides access to an on-line database that allows users to search for broadband sites that use licensed frequencies. This information was used in the verification and discovery phase of the study. This data is available at: http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/sd-sd.nsf/eng/home 7.2.2 MUNICIPALITY WORKBOOK An Excel workbook was used as a data container for the following data sources: Municipal Districts (Including Hamlets) Cities, Towns, Villages, Summer Villages CRTC Deferral List First Nations Métis Settlements 16 Connecting the Dots

7.2.3 WISP WORKBOOK An Excel workbook was used as a data container for the following data sources: WISP Contacts WISP Network Data WISP Service Packages 7.3/ STAGE 2: BEST SIGNAL STRENGTH MAPS The data collected in Stage 1 and additional datasets were inputted into a software program, Mentum Planet v5.3. Mentum Planet was used to create the best signal coverage maps for the project districts, municipal districts, municipalities, First Nations and Métis settlements. 7.3.1 PROJECT DISTRICT WORKBOOK The WISP network data collected in Stage 1 was for the entire province. This data was recompiled into a project district workbook. The WISP network sites were sorted first by project district and then municipal district. The WISP sites for each municipal district were inputted into the Mentum Planet software program. 7.3.2 ALBERTA TOWNSHIP DATA Dataset (Shapefile) provided by Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. There are a total of 7165 townships in the province. Appendix J: Alberta Township System (ATS) 7.3.3 VECTOR DATA Vector data for cities, towns, villages, summer villages, hamlets, highways and water purchased from DMTI Spatial Inc. Vector data is used create a map of a geographical area such as a municipal district. 7.3.4 CLUTTER DATA Clutter Data provides a digital representation of the land cover. The type of land cover within an area will impact the overall broadband coverage for that area. Clutter data would include: water, rural/open land, forest, residential, urban and open urban. Clutter data at a 90 meter resolution was purchased from DMTI Spatial Inc. The clutter data was not available for the whole of District 4, as it was for the other districts. Only three towers were situated within the areas where clutter data was unavailable and of them, two were just off the boundary. This did not impact the estimated broadband coverage of the three towers. (Appendix K : Alberta Clutter Data) A 2.4 GHz template was used as a common basis for estimating coverage throughout the province. 7.3.5 ACCESS POINT/SUBSCRIBER MODULE DATA WISPs were asked to provide the technical specifications for their access points and subscriber modules installed on their networks. The Mentum Planet v5.3 software uses this information to estimate the broadband coverage provided by a site. As an example, a 900 MHz access point will provide more broadband coverage than a 5.5 GHz access point. The majority of the WISPs consider this information to be confidential and refused to provide this data, as a result a 2.4 GHz template was selected and used as a common basis for estimating coverage throughout the province. The 2.4 GHz template was based on Motorola Canopy equipment transmitting in the 2.4 GHz band from a six-sector 8 dbi access point mounted 30 m up the tower. Rx sensitivity was assumed to be -87 dbm. Alberta Rural Broadband Coverage Study 17

In as much as a 2.4 GHz plot understates coverage relative to equipment operating in the UHF and 900 MHz bands and overstates coverage relative to the 3.5 GHz and 5.5 GHz bands, it was thought to provide a consistent and representative view on which provincial coverage could be estimated. Mentum Planet is a wireless network planning and optimization software that offers the ability to design better networks through quality engineering solutions. Due to the requirement of the 2.4 GHz template there will be an error rate of approximately 15% in the coverage analysis. Most of the WISPs use 900 MHz to broadband services to rural areas. A 900 MHz access point will provide approximately 15% more coverage than a 2.4 GHz access point. As a result 15% of the townships that are categorized as unserved may be served. 7.3.6 MENTUM PLANET V5.3 Mentum Planet is a wireless network planning and optimization software that offers the ability to design better networks through quality engineering solutions. Mentum Planet is a simulation-based planning tool with the ability to emulate real-world conditions. The default output for best signal strength maps is a.tab Mapinfo file format. It also supports an ASCII Grid format which can be exported into the ARCGIS platform. Propagation analyses were completed for 1,848 sites using the TDMA/FDMA Predict 4.0 model in Mentum Planet. Once the propagation charts for all towers in a municipal district, including those with 5 km of its perimeter, were complete, a composite signal strength chart for the municipal district was created. The analysis provides the maximum received signal strength that can be expected at any point in the municipal district considering all of the sites in the area. 7.3.7 BEST SIGNAL STRENGTH MAPS The Mentum Planet propagation software measures the potential signal strength of all the sites in and within 5Km of a municipal district. Each level of signal strength, based on dbm value, is identified as a different colour on the map and if the area is either served or unserved: Red Strongest Signal Served Area Yellow Medium Signal Served or Unserved Area Green Weak Signal Unserved Area White No Signal Unserved Area Figure 4: Best Signal Strength Map Municipal District of Taber Level (-dbm) Colour -60.1925 Red -75.0000 Pink -75.0100 Orange -85.0000 Yellow -85.0100 Green -87.0000 Blue -87.0100 White 18 Connecting the Dots

The best signal strength maps were imported into MapInfo and used to classify a township, municipal district, municipality, First Nations and Métis settlements as either served or unserved. 7.4/ STAGE 3: COVERAGE ANALYSIS 7.4.1 COVERAGE ANALYSIS PROCEDURE The best signal strength maps created in Mentum Planet were imported in MapInfo Professional. The MapInfo Professional platform provides built-in support to access and view a variety of data formats directly such as.tab,.dat and.shp files. This feature allowed the different data sets to be combined into a single MapInfo workspace (.wor) for each municipal district. The best signal strength maps were imported into MapInfo and used to classify a township, municipal district, municipality, First Nations and Métis settlements as either served or unserved. The following criteria was used to classify each of the townships as either served or unserved: 1. Estimate signal strength colour for each township. 100% red the township is classified as served 50% red and 50% yellow the township is classified as served >50% yellow the township is classified as served <50% yellow the township is classified as unserved Green, blue, or white the township is classified as unserved 2. Estimate the proximity of any WISP sites to the township If a WISP site is within an estimated distance of 4Km of a township it is classified as served. This may override the signal strength colour analysis. 3. Towns, villages, summer villages, hamlets, First Nations and Métis settlements within a township inherited its classification. 7.4.2 PROJECT DISTRICT COVERAGE ANALYSIS An Excel district coverage analysis workbook was created for each of the project districts. The workbook contains a coverage analysis for each municipal district. The Municipal District of Taber has 47 townships. Twenty-Four (24) townships are served by one or more Wireless Internet Service Providers. Twenty-Three (23) townships are classified as unserved. Alberta Rural Broadband Coverage Study 19

7.4.3 MUNICIPAL COVERAGE ANALYSIS An Excel municipality coverage analysis workbook was created for all the municipalities except the seven major cities. The municipality analysis was completed in two steps: Figure 5: Municipal District of Taber Coverage Map = Unserved Township 20 Connecting the Dots

A coverage analysis was completed for all the cities, towns, villages and summer villages. 1. Determine if the municipality is served by a Wireless Internet Service Provider 2. Determine if the municipality is served by a Wired Provider or listed on the CRTC Deferral list. Municipalities on the deferral list were classified as served. A coverage analysis was completed for all the cities, towns, villages and summer villages. 7.4.4 FIRST NATIONS COVERAGE ANALYSIS There are currently 45 First Nations Communities and a combined 140 reserves spread over 821,771 hectares of land. According to how data is compiled, there may be some variation in the number of First Nations communities, reserves and land area. For the purpose of this study, coverage data was collected on 44 First Nations as listed on Table 13: First Nations Coverage. (http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/ ai/scr/ab/fn/index-eng.asp) Each First Nations reserve was classified as either served or unserved. 7.4.5 ARCGIS The best signal strength maps were exported as ASCII Grid files and provided to the project steering committee. There are currently 45 First Nations Communities and a combined 140 reserves spread over 821,771 hectares of land. Alberta Rural Broadband Coverage Study 21

8.1/ MUNICIPAL DISTRICT COVERAGE The results of this study are a snap shot of the broadband coverage in Alberta. As time goes by, new initiatives, technologies and towers will make these maps become less accurate with age. Alberta has 73 municipal districts, improvement districts and special areas with a cumulative population of 447,474. A summary of broadband coverage for each of the project districts is provided in Tables 7 to 11. Table 7: Project District 1 Coverage Municipal District Population (2010) 22 Connecting the Dots Townships Served % Unserved % Hamlets Served % Unserved % 1 Cardston 4,266 55 31 56.36% 24 43.64% 11 10 90.91% 1 10.00% 2 Cypress 6,729 148 45 30.41% 103 69.59% 10 10 100.00% 0 0.00% 3 Foothills 19,736 48 34 70.83% 14 29.17% 8 8 100.00% 0 0.00% 4 Forty Mile 3,414 80 54 67.50% 26 32.50% 5 5 100.00% 0 0.00% 5 Lethbridge 10,302 34 26 76.47% 8 23.53% 7 7 100.00% 0 0.00% 6 Newell 6,862 66 47 71.21% 19 28.79% 6 6 100.00% 0 0.00% 7 Pincher Creek 3,309 47 30 63.83% 17 36.17% 6 5 83.33% 1 20.00% 8 Ranchland 86 33 0 0.00% 33 100.00% 0 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 9 Taber 6,280 47 24 51.06% 23 48.94% 5 5 100.00% 0 0.00% 10 Vulcan 3,718 60 42 70.00% 18 30.00% 6 4 66.67% 2 50.00% 11 Warner 3,776 51 36 70.59% 15 29.41% 2 2 100.00% 0 0.00% 12 Willowcreek 5,337 57 41 71.93% 16 28.07% 4 4 100.00% 0 0.00% 13 Crowsnest 5749 5 4 80.00% 1 20.00% 5 5 100.00% 0 0.00% 14 Waterton 160 7 4 57.14% 3 42.86% 1 1 100.00% 0 0.00% Total: 79724 738 418 320 76 72 4 Percentage: 56.64% 43.36% 94.74% 5.26% The two municipal districts that have the least amount of broadband coverage in District 1 are the MD of Ranchland (100%) and Cypress county (69.59%). Four hamlets out of 76 are classified as unserved in District 1. Table 8: Project District 2 Coverage Municipal Districts Population (2010) Townships Served % Unserved % Hamlets Served % Unserved % 1 Acadia 545 12 5 41.67% 7 58.33% 1 1 100.00% 0 0.00% 2 Bighorn 1454 40 6 15.00% 34 85.00% 5 4 80.00% 1 20.00% 3 Clearwater 11,826 200 45 22.50% 155 77.50% 5 5 100.00% 0 0.00% 4 Kneehill 5,218 38 20 52.63% 18 47.37% 7 3 42.86% 4 57.14% 5 Lacombe 10,507 34 30 88.24% 4 11.76% 5 3 60.00% 2 40.00% 6 Mountain View 12,570 57 40 70.18% 17 29.82% 0 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 7 Paintearth 2,126 40 18 45.00% 22 55.00% 2 2 100.00% 0 0.00% 8 Ponoka 8,640 35 26 74.29% 9 25.71% 3 2 66.67% 1 33.33% 9 Red Deer 19,108 50 30 60.00% 20 40.00% 8 6 75.00% 2 25.00% 10 Rocky View 34,597 48 36 75.00% 12 25.00% 14 14 100.00% 0 0.00% 11 Special Areas 4,729 230 79 34.35% 151 65.65% 18 7 38.89% 11 61.11% 12 Starland 2,371 31 15 48.39% 16 51.61% 4 3 75.00% 1 25.00% 13 Stettler 5,216 49 28 57.14% 21 42.86% 5 4 80.00% 1 20.00% 14 Wheatland 8,164 60 40 66.67% 20 33.33% 9 8 88.89% 1 11.11% 15 Banff 938 83 5 6.02% 78 93.98% 1 1 100.00% 0 0.00% 16 Kananaskis 429 50 5 10.00% 44 88.00% 1 1 100.00% 0 0.00% Total: 128438 1057 428 628 88 64 24 Percentage: 40.49% 59.41% 72.73% 27.27% The two municipal districts that have the least amount of broadband coverage in District 2 are the Banff National Park (93.98%) and the Improvement District of Kananaskis (88.00%). Twenty-Four hamlets of 88 are classified as unserved in District 2. 8/RESULTS

Table 9: Project District 3 Coverage Municipal District Population (2010) Townships Served % Unserved % Hamlets Served % Unserved % 1 Athabasca 7,592 69 45 65.22% 24 34.78% 12 12 100.00% 0 0.00% 2 Barrhead 5,845 28 19 67.86% 9 32.14% 4 4 100.00% 0 0.00% 3 Brazeau 7,040 36 18 50.00% 18 50.00% 7 6 85.71% 1 14.29% 4 Leduc 13,260 36 31 86.11% 5 13.89% 8 8 100.00% 0 0.00% 5 Slave River 2,442 119 19 15.97% 100 84.03% 7 5 71.43% 2 28.57% 6 Thorhild 3,547 21 15 71.43% 6 28.57% 7 7 100.00% 0 0.00% 7 Lac Ste. Anne 10,220 34 16 47.06% 18 52.94% 8 5 62.50% 3 37.50% 8 Parkland 30,089 37 37 100.00% 0 0.00% 7 6 85.71% 1 14.29% 9 Sturgeon 19,165 29 23 79.31% 6 20.69% 11 10 90.91% 1 9.09% 10 Westlock 6,910 40 25 62.50% 15 37.50% 9 8 88.89% 1 11.11% 11 Wetaskiwin 10,535 44 17 38.64% 27 61.36% 8 6 75.00% 2 25.00% 12 Woodlands 4,158 84 8 9.52% 76 90.48% 3 2 66.67% 1 33.33% 13 Yellowhead 10,045 247 37 14.98% 210 85.02% 10 6 60.00% 4 40.00% 14 Jasper 24 125 9 7.20% 116 92.80% 1 1 100.00% 0 0.00% Total: 130872 949 319 630 102 86 16 Percentage: 33.61% 66.39% 84.31% 15.69% The two municipal districts that have the least amount of broadband coverage in District 3 are Woodlands County (90.48%) and Yellowhead County (85.02%). Sixteen hamlets out of 86 are classified as unserved in District 3. Table 10: Project District 4 Coverage Municipal District Population (2010) Townships Served % Unserved % Hamlets Served % Unserved % 1 Big Lakes 4,030 161 44 27.33% 116 72.05% 5 4 80.00% 1 20.00% 2 Birch Hills 1,610 33 15 45.45% 18 54.55% 5 4 80.00% 1 20.00% 3 Clear Hills 3,293 166 18 10.84% 148 89.16% 3 2 66.67% 1 33.33% 4 Fairview 1,856 17 7 41.18% 10 58.82% 2 2 100.00% 0 0.00% 5 Grande Prairie 17,989 77 63 81.82% 14 18.18% 11 11 100.00% 0 0.00% 6 Greenview 5,464 376 53 14.10% 323 85.90% 5 4 80.00% 1 20.00% 7 Mackenzie 10,002 887 31 3.49% 856 96.51% 3 3 100.00% 0 0.00% 8 Northern Lights 3,556 243 21 8.64% 222 91.36% 5 4 80.00% 1 20.00% 9 Northern Sunrise 2,880 232 23 9.91% 209 90.09% 5 4 80.00% 1 20.00% 10 Opportunity 3,259 332 15 4.52% 317 95.48% 5 3 60.00% 2 40.00% 11 Peace 1,487 13 9 69.23% 4 30.77% 1 1 100.00% 0 0.00% 12 Saddle Hills 2,478 72 25 34.72% 47 65.28% 1 1 100.00% 0 0.00% 13 Smoky River 2,442 32 21 65.63% 11 34.38% 3 2 66.67% 1 33.33% 14 Spirit River 662 8 5 62.50% 3 37.50% 0 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 15 Wood Buffalo 91,612 1122 20 1.78% 1102 98.22% 8 7 87.50% 1 12.50% Total: 152620 3771 370 3400 62 52 10 Percentage: 9.81% 90.16% 83.87% 16.13% The two municipal districts that have the least amount of broadband coverage in District 4 are Mackenzie County (96.51%) and the MD of Opportunity (95.48%). Ten hamlets out of 62 are classified as unserved in District 4. Alberta Rural Broadband Coverage Study 23

Alberta has 73 municipal districts, improvement districts and special areas with a cumulative population of 447,474. Table 11: Project District 5 Coverage Municipal District Population (2010) Townships Served % Unserved % Hamlets Served % Unserved % 1 Beaver 5,676 41 32 78.05% 9 21.95% 2 2 100.00% 0 0.00% 2 Camrose 7,577 38 27 71.05% 11 28.95% 9 7 77.78% 2 22.22% 3 Bonnyville 9,047 79 47 59.49% 32 40.51% 7 6 85.71% 1 14.29% 4 Flagstaff 3,506 44 23 52.27% 21 47.73% 0 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 5 Lac La Biche 9,123 191 31 16.23% 161 84.29% 6 6 100.00% 0 0.00% 6 Lamont 3,925 28 24 85.71% 4 14.29% 5 4 80.00% 1 20.00% 7 Minburn 3,319 32 18 56.25% 14 43.75% 2 2 100.00% 0 0.00% 8 Smoky Lake 2,716 41 29 70.73% 12 29.27% 4 3 75.00% 1 25.00% 9 St Paul 5,925 46 31 67.39% 15 32.61% 10 10 100.00% 0 0.00% 10 Provost 2,547 43 15 34.88% 28 65.12% 4 2 50.00% 2 50.00% 11 Strathcona 87,998 17 15 88.24% 2 11.76% 9 9 100.00% 0 0.00% 12 Two Hills 2,926 33 21 63.64% 12 36.36% 7 5 71.43% 2 28.57% 13 Vermilion River 7,900 63 40 63.49% 23 36.51% 7 5 71.43% 2 28.57% 14 Wainwright 4,113 52 22 42.31% 30 57.69% 3 2 66.67% 1 33.33% Total: 156298 748 375 374 75 63 12 Percentage: 50.13% 50.00% 84.00% 16.00% The two municipal districts that have the least amount of broadband coverage in district #5 are Lac La Biche County (84.29%) and the MD of Provost (66.12%). Twelve hamlets out of 75 are classified as unserved in District 5. 24 Connecting the Dots

Table 12: Hamlets Coverage 4 8.2/ HAMLET COVERAGE Hamlets are unincorporated communities administered by and within the boundaries of, municipal districts, specialized municipalities, improvement districts or special areas. Fifty-Five Hamlets were classified as Unserved. Hamlet District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5 Del Bonita Brocket Shouldice Travers Benchlands Hesketh Huxley Swalwell Wimborne Haynes Joffre Leedale Ardley Lousana Craigmyle Red Willow Chancellor Lodgepole Chisholm Marten Beach Darwell Cherhill Green Court Carvel Pine Sands Newstow Alder Flats Buck Lake Blue Ridge Cadomin MacKay Robb Wildwood Enlida Peoria Bear Canyon Little Smoky North Star Reno Sandy Lake Peerless Lake Guy Fort MacKay Kelsey Armena Beaverdam Wostok Edwand Bodo Metiskow Beauvallon Morecambe Rivercourse Streamstown Ribstone 13 16 10 12 Alberta Rural Broadband Coverage Study 25

All 108 towns have broadband access. 8.3/ OTHER MUNICIPAL COVERAGE 8.3.1 TOWNS A town is a municipality with a population of at least 1,000 people. Alberta has 108 towns with a cumulative population of 441,647. All of the 108 towns have broadband access. Town residents and businesses will typically have a choice between different providers including: TELUS, Shaw, Unbundled DSL Providers, East Link and WISPs. 8.3.2 VILLAGES A village is a municipality with a population of at least 300 people. Alberta has 95 villages with a cumulative population of 39,956. All of the 95 villages have broadband access. The majority of villages will typically have a choice between multiple WISPs. In addition, TELUS, Shaw and East Link provide wired broadband services to some villages. 8.3.3 SUMMER VILLAGES Summer villages are incorporated communities that have permanent populations, as well as seasonal (non-permanent) residents. Alberta has a total of 51 summer villages with a cumulative population of 6,154. Forty-four of the summer villages have a choice between multiple Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs). The following summer villages were classified as unserved : Birch Cove Burnstick Lake Castle Island Silver Sands South View Waipaousand West Cove All 95 villages have broadband access 26 Connecting the Dots

8.4/ FIRST NATIONS COVERAGE First Nations /Metis Settlements (as appropriate) come in a variety of sizes from a few townships to large tracts of land. The areas marked by an asterisk are composed of multiple townships where some, but not all, are designated as served. Alberta has 44 First Nation bands. There are eleven bands that were classified as unserved. The First Nations bands are generally provided broadband services by WISPs that provide broadband services to the reserve and the surrounding area. Table 13: First Nations Coverage First Nation Served Unserved The First Nations bands are generally provided broadband services by WISPs that provide broadband services to the reserve and the surrounding area. Alexander First Nation * Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Beaver First Nation Beaver Lake Cree Nation Bigstone Cree Nation Blood Tribe * Chipewyan Prairie First Nation Cold Lake First Nations Dene Tha First Nation * Driftpile First Nation Duncan s First Nation Enoch Cree Nation #440 Ermineskin Tribe * Fort Mckay First Nation Fort McMurray #468 First Nation Frog Lake First Nation Heart Lake First Nation Horse Lake First Nation Kapawe no First Nation Kehewin Cree Nation Little Red River Cree Nation Loon River First Nation Louis Bull Tribe * Lubicon Lake Band Mikisew Cree First Nation Montana First Nation * O Chiese First Nation Paul First Nation Piikani Nation Saddle Lake First Nation (Note 1) Samson Cree Nation Sawridge Band Siksika Nation Smith s Landing First Nation Stoney Nakoda Nation (Note 2) Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation Sucker Creek First Nation Sunchild First Nation Swan River First Nation Tallcree First Nation Tsuu T ina Nation Whitefish Lake First Nation * Woodland Cree First Nation * Part Unserved (According to Vitel Served/Unserved Township Reports) 33 11 Alberta Rural Broadband Coverage Study 27

8.5/ MÉTIS SETTLEMENT COVERAGE First Nations /Metis Settlements (as appropriate) come in a variety of sizes from a few townships to large tracts of land. The areas marked by an asterisk are composed of multiple townships where some, but not all, are designated as served. Alberta has 8 Métis Settlements. All 8 settlements are classified as served. The Métis Settlements are provided broadband services by Wireless Internet Service Providers that provide broadband services to the settlement and surrounding area. Table 14: Métis Settlements Coverage Metis Settlement Served Unserved Buffalo Lake * East Prairie * Elizabeth * Fishing Lake Gift Lake * Kikino * Paddle Prairie * Peavine * * Part Unserved (According to Vitel Served/Unserved Township Reports) 28 Connecting the Dots

9/DISCUSSION 9.1/ ECONOMIC IMPACT OF TERRAIN & POPULATION DENSITIES An area s terrain type and population density can significantly impact the capital cost to build and operate a fixed wireless network. The capital and operating costs to build and operate a fixed wireless network in an area with a high tree density, hilly topography and low population will be considerably higher than in a township that has a low tree density, flat terrain and high population. Areas can be classified as different terrain and economic types. 9.1.1 TERRAIN TYPES An area can be classified as one of three terrain types: Type A: Type B: Type C: Hilly and moderate-to-heavy tree density. Most difficult to provide wireless broadband services Neither Type A nor Type C. Medium difficulty to provide wire less broadband services Flat and light tree density. Least difficult to provide wireless broadband services As the terrain variable significantly influences the effective range of wireless signal transmission, it directly impacts the coverage area. Wireless networks are easier to design and deploy in Type C areas as fewer towers are required and obstructions/shadow areas are minimal. Covering Type A and B areas is more difficult and costly as it typically requires a combination of more and possibly higher towers as well as strategically placed reflectors. 9.1.2 ECONOMIC TYPE Areas can be classified as an economic type. The economic type is based on the area s ability to generate a positive cash flow based on subscriptions. The three types of economic areas are: Type 1: Type 2: Type 3: Areas that can be, or are, served by market forces. Type 1 areas will be cash flow positive over a period of time. Capital Costs + Operating Costs Total Revenues Areas that will need assistance with initial funding to become self-sustaining. Type 2 areas require funding to cover the initially negative cash flow resulting from high capital expenditures due to network deployment. Capital Costs + Operating Costs Total Revenues + Initial Funding Areas that cannot become self-sustaining and will require initial and ongoing funding. Type 3 areas will remain cash flow negative unless subsidized by either alternative revenues or government funding on an ongoing basis. Capital Costs + Operating Costs Total Revenues + Ongoing/ Initial funding Alberta Rural Broadband Coverage Study 29

9.2/ WISP TYPES Throughout the study there were opportunities to meet and discuss rural broadband business and issues with most of the fifty-three (53) Wireless Internet Service Providers in the province. Each WISP has different views on technologies, business models, and the future role of the different levels of government including rural municipalities, Government of Alberta (GOA) and the Federal Government. There are four different types of WISPs: 9.2.1 LOCAL WISP A local WISP is an individual(s) that live and work in a single area. They recognized the need for broadband services in their area and decided to take on the risk of providing broadband services. The subscriber base will be less than 500 subscribers. A local WISP is willing to lose capital and operating funds to provide broadband services to their community, but recognize that in order to remain in business they must subsidize the costs of the network. Local WISPs tend to provide broadband services to terrain type C and economic type 3 areas. Twenty-two (22) out of the fifty-three (53) WISPs can be categorized as local WISPs. 9.2.2 REGIONAL WISP A regional WISP builds a network to provide broadband services to multiple communities. The subscriber base can be anywhere between 500 to 10,000 subscribers. A regional WISP is willing to lose capital and operating funds on a per site basis, but with an understanding that profitable sites will subsidize non profitable sites. A site located near a town is more likely to make a profit than a site that provides broadband services to four remote homes. Twenty-four (24) of the fifty-three (53) WISPs can be categorized as regional WISPs. Regional WISPs will provide broadband services to all three terrain and economic types. 9.2.3 PROVINCIAL WISP A provincial WISP builds a network to provide broadband services to multiple districts in the province. Provincial WISPs are most likely to be publicly traded companies. Their network is generally located in A and B terrain areas, and type 1 and 2 economic areas. Six (6) of the fifty-three (53) WISPs can be categorized as provincial WISPs. 9.2.4 NATIONAL WISP A national WISP builds a network to provide broadband services to multiple provinces in the country. National WISPs are most likely to be publicly traded companies. Their network is generally located in A and B terrain areas, and type 1 and 2 economic areas. One (1) of the fifty-three (53) WISPs can be categorized as a national WISP. Each of these WISPs has a different business model. All four business models will be required to fulfill the objective of providing broadband services to 98% of the population. Each WISP has different views on technologies, business models and the future role of the different levels of government including rural municipalities, Government of Alberta and the Federal Government. 30 Connecting the Dots

9.3/ WISP SERVICE PACKAGES An analysis was completed of each of the fifty-three (53) WISP s service packages using information provided on their WISP web sites. Nineteen (19) out of fifty-three (53) WISPs do not provide their services packages on their web sites. The remaining thirty-four (34) WISPs provide either complete or partial information on their service packages. Most WISP provide up to three or more service packages. For the purposes of the study we classified these as Packages A, B and C. Table 15 provides a summary of the WISP service packages. Table 15: WISP Service Packages Package A Package B Package C Cost $27.95 $65.00 $30.00 $149.00 $45 $349 Installation $50.00 $499.95 Download 750 kbps 5.0 Mbps 1.0 Mbps 6.0 Mbps 1.5 Mbps 8.0 Mbps Upload 250 kbps 1.5 Mbps 1512 kbps 3.0 Mbps 512 bps 5.0 Mbps Usage / Month 10 110 GB 10 GB Unlimited 25GB Unlimited Usage / GB $2.00 $10.00 Many consider the 700 MHz band to be invaluable for providing wireless coverage in rural areas. Service Alberta s Final Mile Broadband Initiative (FMBI) requires that providers offer, at a minimum, the following service packages for those Alberta homes/businesses that currently do not have access to high-speed Internet service: 1. 1.5 Mbps download, 384 kbps upload 2. 3.0 Mbps download, 768 kbps upload 3. 5.0 Mbps download, 1.0 Mbps upload The ability to provide download and upload rates to a specific area is based on a number of factors including: Wireless Technology, Access Point Height, Distance between the Subscriber and Access Point, Terrain, Total Number of Subscribers, Available Backhaul Bandwidth and WISP Aggregation Rations. The download/upload rates provided by the WISP s in their service packages should be considered as minimum or average rates. 9.4/ 700 MHz SPECTRUM The 700 MHz spectrum was previously used to transmit over-the-air analog television channels. Many consider the 700 MHz band to be invaluable for providing wireless coverage in rural areas. The conversion from analog to digital broadband casting will make this spectrum available for Internet service. In June 2006, Industry Canada established a policy for the use of 700 MHz systems for Public Safety and subscriber based broadband applications. The purposes of the policy was designate spectrum in the bands of 764 770 MHz and 794 800 MHz (Formally TV channels 63 and 68) for public safety applications and refined the criteria for channels 2 to 59. Alberta Rural Broadband Coverage Study 31

By the spring of 2011, Industry Canada had issued a total of 555 licences in Canada with 450 of the licenses being issued in Alberta Timeline: August 2011 is scheduled to mark the transition from analog television to digital, freeing up spectrum for potential use November 2010 Industry Canada (IC) Minister announces Spectrum Auction for late 2012 Many private and public agencies are vying for the additional spectrum Industry Canada opened consultations on the 700 MHz broad band allocations on November 30th, 2010 Industry Canada consultations closed on February 28th, 2011 Industry Canada is allowing the use of the RRBS bands (512 698 MHz) in remote rural communities. By the spring of 2011, Industry Canada had issued a total of 555 licences in Canada with 450 of the licenses being issued in Alberta. The following Wireless Internet Service Providers have deployed or going to deploy RRBS based systems in Alberta: Advanced Interactive CCI Wireless XplorNet XpanServe Hakai Networks MachLink The allocation of the 700 MHz spectrum will significant impact both the wireless coverage and capacity in rural areas. 32 Connecting the Dots

The uniqueness of each project district must be considered prior to creating a solution to provide broadband coverage in a district. 10/ LESSONS LEARNED 10.1/ PROJECT DISTRICTS UNIQUE To make the project more manageable and reduce the complexity, the province was divided into five project districts. Each of these project districts is unique in terms of: Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISP) Economic Base Population Densities Topography The uniqueness of each project district must be considered prior to creating a solution to provide broadband coverage in a district. 10.2/ RADIO FREQUENCY (RF) EXPERIENCE The majority of the Wireless Internet Service Providers did not have any radio frequency experience prior to starting their business. Because of the lack of RF experience, WISPs have had to spend hundreds of hours experimenting with different technologies and vendor s equipment. The result is that there are many different philosophies as to what will or will not work and an ad-hoc approach to network design and implementation. 10.3/ SITE DATA NOT AVAILABLE During the data collection phase of the study it became apparent that most of the Wireless Internet Service Providers do not maintain a site database containing information such as GPS coordinates, site height and access point model numbers. As a result the only site data that was available were the site s GPS coordinates. 10.4/ LOCAL WISPS SUBSIDIZE BROADBAND COVERAGE Some local WISPs will provide broadband coverage to low populated areas and subsidize the capital and operating costs with revenue generated from higher density areas or another line of business. Their primary objective is to provide adequate broadband coverage to their community and they understand that there is no economic reason to build and operate a broadband network in low populated areas. 10.5/ 900 MHz SIGNAL Unofficial feedback from several WISPs indicates that the error rate may be higher in a Type C terrain area and lower in a Type A terrain area. This is due in part because most WISPs use 900 MHz access points to provide broadband coverage in both areas. A 900 MHz signal will propagate further in a Type C area increasing the possible error rate. Alberta Rural Broadband Coverage Study 33

10.6/ SUBSCRIBER TOWERS Wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi and Wi-Max cannot provide adequate broadband coverage to Type A terrain areas which are hilly and have a moderate-to-heavy tree density. To resolve this issue Grande Prairie County provides capital funding for subscriber towers to rural residents located in Type A areas. A subscriber tower can be as high as 50 and be positioned to provide a direct line-of-sight to the nearest tower. 10.7/ 700 MHz BAND 700 MHz band may be a viable technical and economic solution for providing broadband coverage in low density Type A areas. A Red Deer based company called Technalogix LTD is the only Industry Canada certified provider of RRBS radio equipment in Canada (http://www.technalogix.ca/) 10.8/ PROJECT OUT-OF-SCOPE Section 5.0 Project Out-of-Scope provided a list of items that were identified as out-of-scope of this study. The following should be included in any future broadband coverage initiatives: 10.8.1 UNDERSERVED AREAS A township is deemed to be underserved because the download and upload speeds do not meet Industry Canada s minimum requirements of 1.5 Mbps (download) and 384 kbps (upload). The CRTC has set a target for all Canadians to have access to broadband speeds of at least 5 Mbps for download and 1 Mbps for upload by 2015. Subscriber s bandwidth requirements are increasing at a rate of 40% to 50% year. This will have a significant impact on all wireless networks included fixed, mobility and satellite. Underserved areas are typically identified by having the subscribers within an area conduct a series of broadband speed tests over a predefined period of time. The average of the speed tests could be used to estimate if the area is underserved. Other aspects of service quality are also important and are unrelated to bandwidth rates. Examples are: monthly rates, network outages, customer support and time-to-repair. 10.8.2 QUALITY OF THE USER S EXPERIENCE The download and upload speeds are typically used to describe service quality. Other aspects of service quality are also important and are unrelated to bandwidth rates. Examples are: monthly rates, network outages, customer support and time-to-repair. The ability to measure the Quality-of-the-User Experience will become important in the near future. The Quality-of-the-User Experience is impacted by each of the service provider s internal management practices. 34 Connecting the Dots

This study is a snap shot and provides an estimate of the current broadband coverage in the province. Every attempt was made in the development of the study methodology to ensure that the coverage estimate was as accurate as possible. However, having to use the 2.4 GHz template to create the best signal strength maps, it is estimated that there is approximately a 15% error rate. Maps that cover the entirety of the province have been developed, identifying all areas as served or unserved and a greater understanding of broadband coverage in the province was achieved. The data and maps are intended to be a starting point. From this data, it is possible for any stakeholder to put forward potential solutions to serve Albertans, whether that be across a region or for a single township. As stakeholders interpret the data, population distribution will be an important aspect to take into consideration. This study did not begin the process to define what remaining unserved areas have residents and businesses that require service. However, as outlined in section 9.0, population plays greatly into determining a successful business case. The AAMDC encourages the Government of Canada, the Province of Alberta, municipalities, ISPs and individual stakeholders to develop further solutions to complete the final mile. Working together to find cooperative solutions that address local and provincial Internet needs will be an important piece of the puzzle to enable thriving and sustainable rural communities in Alberta. 11/SUMMARY Alberta Rural Broadband Coverage Study 35

APPENDIX A DISTRICT 1 COVERAGE 36 Connecting the Dots

521039 521038 521037 DISTRICT 2 COVERAGE 508046 508045 504045 502045 518044 517044 516044 515044 514044 513044 512044 511044 510044 509044 508044 507044 506044 505044 501044 426044 519043 518043 517043 516043 515043 514043 513043 512043 511043 508043 507043 506043 424043 422043 520042 519042 518042 517042 513042 512042 511042 510042 508042 507042 506042 505042 504042 503042 Ponoka County 520041 519041 518041 517041 513041 512041 511041 510041 509041 508041 417041 Lacombe County 520040 519040 518040 517040 514040 513040 512040 511040 510040 509040 418040 416040 415040 414040 County of Stettler 520039 519039 518039 514039 513039 512039 511039 510039 509039 425039 424039 418039 416039 415039 414039 412039 411039 409039 Clearwater 520038 519038 518038 517038 516038 515038 514038 513038 512038 511038 510038 County 425038 424038 423038 422038 418038 412038 411038 408038 Red Deer County County of 520037 519037 518037 517037 516037 515037 514037 513037 512037 511037 510037 509037 503037 425037 422037 421037 420037 419037 418037 417037 Paintearth 411037 410037 403037 Special Areas 4 520036 519036 518036 517036 516036 515036 514036 513036 512036 511036 510036 509036 508036 507036 504036 501036 425036 423036 422036 418036 417036 415036 414036 402036 519035 518035 517035 516035 515035 514035 513035 512035 511035 510035 509035 508035 507035 505035 504035 501035 427035 425035 424035 422035 421035 418035 417035 414035 413035 412035 411035 410035 409035 403035 402035 401035 518034 517034 516034 515034 514034 513034 512034 511034 510034 509034 508034 506034 505034 504034 503034 429034 428034 426034 425034 424034 423034 422034 421034 420034 419034 418034 417034 415034 414034 413034 412034 411034 410034 409034 408034 405034 404034 403034 514033 513033 512033 511033 510033 509033 508033 502033 429033 427033 425033 422033 419033 417033 416033 413033 410033 409033 407033 404033 403033 401033 513032 512032 511032 510032 509032 508032 507032 504032 503032 502032 429032 425032 422032 419032 418032 417032 416032 413032 412032 411032 410032 409032 407032 404032 403032 402032 401032 Kneehill 511031 510031 509031 508031 507031 Mountain View 429031 County 422031 421031 419031 416031 413031 412031 411031 410031 409031 408031 407031 406031 405031 402031 401031 County 511030 510030 509030 508030 507030 429030 424030 422030 421030 419030 416030 413030 412030 411030 410030 408030 407030 406030 405030 404030 403030 401030 M.D. of Bighorn Starland 511029 510029 509029 508029 507029 506029 429029 427029 422029 421029 County Special 412029 411029 410029 408029 407029 405029 404029 403029 402029 Areas 2 419028 511028 510028 509028 508028 507028 506028 502028 427028 424028 423028 420028 418028 417028 416028 415028 411028 410028 409028 408028 Special Areas 3 401028 419028 418028 511027 510027 509027 508027 507027 504027 427027 425027 424027 423027 420027 419027 418027 417027 416027 414027 413027 412027 411027 410027 408027 407027 405027 401027 M.D. of Rocky View 509026 508026 507026 505026 426026 425026 417026 416026 414026 413026 412026 408026 407026 406026 405026 404026 403026 401026 Wheatland County M.D. of 510025 509025 508025 507025 505025 418025 417025 415025 414025 413025 411025 410025 409025 408025 407025 406025 Acadia 401025 510025 509024 508024 507024 506024 427024 423024 421024 418024 414024 413024 411024 410024 409024 408024 407024 406024 405024 404024 403024 402024 401024 503023 502023 414023 413023 412023 411023 410023 409023 408023 407023 406023 405023 404023 403023 424022 420022 413022 412022 411022 410022 409022 408022 406022 405022 404022 403022 402022 401022 423021 422021 421021 420021 411021 410021 408021 407021 404021 403021 401021 410020 408020 407020 406020 405020 404020 403020 402020 Alberta Rural Broadband Coverage Study 37

606055 605055 604055 603055 602055 603054 602054 602052 602051 DISTRICT 3 COVERAGE 506078 505078 504078 503078 506077 505077 504077 503077 508076 506076 505076 504076 503076 502076 501076 426076 425076 424076 508075 507075 506075 505075 504075 503075 426075 425075 424075 508074 507074 506074 505074 504074 503074 502074 501074 426074 425074 424074 508073 504073 503073 502073 501073 426073 425073 424073 507072 M.D. of Lesser Slave River 503072 502072 426072 425072 424072 507071 506071 505071 504071503071 502071 425071 424071 507070 506070 505070 504070 503070 502070 425070 424070 507069 506069 505069 504069 503069 502069 501069 426069 427069 425069 424069423069 420069 419069 418069 417069 507068 506068 505068 502068 501068 426068 504068 503068 425068 417068 427068 501067 426067 507067 506067 505067 504067 503067 502067 425067 427067 426066 507066 506066 505066 504066 503066 502066 427066 425066 422067 420067 Athabasca County 417066 507065 506065 505065 504065 503065 502065 426065 425065 420065 507064 506064 505064 504064 503064 502064 425064 418064 513063 512063 511063 510063 509063 508063 507063 506063 505063 504063 503063 502063 426063 420063 418063 514062 513062 512062 511062 510062 509062 508062 507062 504062 501062 425062 422062 418062 Woodlands County 515061 514061 513061 512061 511061 510061 517060 516060 515060 514060 513060 511060 510060 518059 517059 516059 515059 514059 513059 509061 509060 508060 507060 509059 508059 508061 507061 507059 506061 County of Barrhead 506059 504060 501061 Westlock County 501060 425061 424060 424059 County of Thorhild 423059 422061 423060 422060 525058 524058 523058 519058 518058 517058 516058 515058 514058 513058 511058 510058 509058 508058 507058 506058 423058 527057 526057 525057 524057 523057 522057 521057 520057 519057 518057 517057 516057 515057 601056 527056 526056 525056 524056 523056 522056 521056 520056 519056 518056 517056 516056 515056 601055 527055 526055 525055 524055 523055 522055 521055 520055 519055 518055 517055 516055 513057 512057 511057 512056 511056 512055 511055 510057 510056 510055 509056 509055 508056507056 506056 505056 Lac Ste. Anne County 506055 504057 504056 502055 501057 420057 501056427056 427055 Sturgeon County 424056 421056 601054 527054 526054 525054 524054 523054 522054521054 520054 519054 518054 511054 510054 509054 505054 504054 528054 601053 527053 526053 525053 524053523053 520053 514053 511053 509053 508053 528053 601052 528052 527052 526052525052 524052 523052 522052 521052 520052 Yellowhead County 517052 516052 515052 514052 513052 512052 511052 509052 508052 Parkland County 601051 527051 528051 524051 523051 522051 521051 520051 519051 518051 517051 516051 515051 514051 513051 512051 511051 510051 509051 524050 523050 522050 521050 520050 519050 518050 517050 516050 515050 514050 513050 512050 511050 509050 504050 526049 525049 524049523049 522049 521049 520049 519049 518049 517049 516049 515049 514049 513049 512049 511049 509049 Brazeau County 504049 Leduc County 525048524048 523048 522048 521048520048 519048518048 517048 516048 515048 514048 513048 512048 511048 510048 509048 427048 426048 525047 524047 523047 522047 521047 520047 519047518047 517047 516047 515047 514047 513047 512047 511047 510047 509047 508047 505047 504047 503047 502047 425047 423047 524046 523046 522046 521046 520046 519046 518046 517046 516046 515046 514046 513046 512046 511046 510046 509046 506046 505046 504046 503046 502046 County of 426046 Wetaskiwin 425046 423046 523045 522045 521045520045 519045 518045 517045 516045 515045514045 513045 512045 511045 510045509045 501045 427045 506045 505045 504045 503045 502045 428045 426045 425045 424045423045 422045 522044521044 520044 519044 423044 521043 520043 38 Connecting the Dots

Alberta Rural Broadband Coverage Study 39 R.M. of Wood Buffalo Mackenzie County M.D. of Opportunity Northern Sunrise County M.D. of Smoky River M.D. of Spirit River Birch Hills County M.D. of Peace M.D. of Fairview M.D. of Northern Lights Clear Hills County Saddle Hills County M.D. of Big Lakes County of Grande Prairie M.D. of Greenview 424115 R.M. of Wood Buffalo Mackenzie County M.D. of Opportunity Northern Sunrise County M.D. of Smoky River M.D. of Spirit River Birch Hills County M.D. of Peace M.D. of Fairview M.D. of Northern Lights Clear Hills County Saddle Hills County M.D. of Big Lakes County of Grande Prairie M.D. of Greenview 424115 412102 412101 412100 412099 412098 411104 411103 411102 411101 411100 411099 411098 410126 410125 410104 410103 410102 410101 410100 410099 410098 409126 409125 409124 409123 409122 409121 409120 409119 409118 409117 409116 409109 409108 409104 409103 409101 409100 409099 408126 408125 408124 408123 408121 408120 408119 408117 408116 408113 408109 408108 408105 408104 408101 408100 407126 407125 407124 407121 407120 407117 407116 407113 407109 407108 407105 407104 407101 407100 406126 406125 406124 406121 406120 406117 406116 406113 406112 406109 406108 406105 406104 406101 406100 405126 405125 405124 405121 405120 405117 405116 405113 405112 405109 405108 405105 405104 405101 405100 405097 405096 404126 404125 404124 404121 404120 404117 404116 404113 404112 404109 404108 404105 404104 404101 404100 404097 404096 403126 403125 403124 403121 403120 403117 403116 403113 403112 403109 403108 403105 403104 403101 403100 403097 403096 402126 402125 402124 402121 402120 402117 402116 402113 402112 402109 402108 402106 402105 402104 402101 402100 402097 402096 409107 408115 409106 408107 409102 408103 409098 408099 408122 407123 408118 407119 408114 407115 408110 407111 408106 407107 408102 407103 408098 407099 407122 406123 407118 406119 407114 406115 407110 406111 407106 406107 407102 406103 407098 406099 406122 405123 406118 405119 406114 405115 406110 405111 406106 405107 406102 405103 406098 405099 405122 404123 405118 404119 405114 404115 405110 404111 405106 404107 405102 404103 405098 404099 404122 403123 404118 403119 404114 403115 404110 403111 404106 403107 404102 403103 404098 403099 403122 402123 403118 402119 403114 402115 403110 402111 403106 403102 402103 403098 402099 401126 401125 402122 401124 401123 401122 401121 402118 401120 401119 401118 401117 402114 401116 401115 401114 401113 402110 401112 401111 401110 401109 401108 401107 402107 401106 401105 402102 401104 401103 401102 401101 402098 401100 401099 401098 401097 401096 412095 411095 412094 410095 411094 411093 409095 410094 410093 409093 408093 407093 406093 405093 404093 403093 402093 409094 408095 408094 407095 407094 406095 406094 405095 405094 404095 404094 403095 403094 402095 402094 401095 401094 401093 412104 412103 503101 503100 503097 503096 502120 502117 502116 502113 502112 502109 502108 502105 502104 502101 502100 502097 502096 501106 501105 501104 501102 501101 501100 501098 501097 501096 501120 501118 501117 501116 501114 501113 501112 501110 501109 501108 425103 425099 424104 424102 424101 424100 424098 424097 424096 423104 423103 423102 423101 423100 423099 423098 423097 423096 422104 422103 422102 422101 422100 422099 422098 422097 422096 421104 421103 421102 421101 421100 421099 421098 421097 421096 420104 420103 420102 420101 420100 420099 420098 420097 420096 419104 419103 419102 419101 419100 419099 419098 419097 419096 418104 418103 418102 418101 418100 418099 418098 418097 418096 417104 417103 417102 417101 417100 417099 417098 417097 417096 416104 416103 416102 416101 416100 416099 416098 416097 416096 415104 415103 415102 415101 415100 415099 415098 415097 415096 414104 413104 414103 413103 414102 413102 414101 413101 414100 413100 414099 413099 414098 413098 414097 414096 413126 412126 411126 412125 411125 503099 502119 502115 502111 502107 503102 502103 503098 502099 502118 501119 502114 502110 501111 502106 501107 502102 502098 414126 501094 425095 425094424094 423095 423094 422095 422094 421095 421094 420095 420094 419095 419094 418095 417095 418094 416095 417094 415095 416094 414095 415094 413095 414094 413094 503095 503094 502095 502094 408092 407092 406092 405092 404092 403092 402092 410092 410085 410084 410083 410082 410081 409091 409088 409085 409084 409083 409081 409080 409077 409076 408089 408088 408084 408081 408080 408076 408073 407089 407088 407084 407081 407080 407076 407073 406089 406088 406085 406081 406080 406077 406076 406073 405089 405088 405085 405084 405081 405077 405076 405073 404089 404088 404085 404084 404081 404077 404076 404073 403089 403088 403085 403084 403081 403080 403077 403076 403073 402089 402088 402085 402084 402081 402080 402077 402076 402073 409079 409075 409090 408091 409082 408083 409078 408079 409074 408075 408090 407091 407087 408082 407083 408078 407079 408074 407075 407090 406091 406087 407082 407078 406079 407074 406075 406090 405091 406086 405087 406082 405083 406078 405079 406074 405075 405090 404091 405086 404087 405082 404083 405078 404079 405074 404075 404090 403091 404086 403087 404082 403083 404078 403079 404074 403075 403090 402091 403086 402087 403082 402083 403078 402079 403074 402075 402090 401092 401091 401090 401089 402086 401088 401087 401086 401085 402082 401084 401083 401082 401081 402078 401080 401079 401078 401077 402074 401076 401075 401074 401073 412093 503093 502093 501093425093424093 423093 422093 421093 420093 419093 418093 417093 416093 415093 414093 413093 413090 413089 413088 413087 413086 413085 413084 413083 413082 413081 412092 411092 412091 412090 412089 412088 412087 412086 411086 412085 411085 412084 411084 412083 411083 412082 411082 412081 411081 411091 410091 411090 410090 411089 410089 411088 410088 411087 410087 503092 503089 503088 503085 503084 503081 503080 502092 502089 502088 502085 502084 502081 502080 502077 501090 501089 501088 501085 501084 501082 501081 501080 501078 501077 501092 426083 426079 425092 425090 425089 425088 425087 425085 425084 425082 425078 425077 424092 424091 424090 424089 424088 424087 424085 424084 424083 424082 424079 424078 424077 423092 423091 423090 423089 423088 423087 423085 423084 423083 423082 423081 423080 423079 423078 423077 423076 423075 423074 423073 423072 423071 423070 422092 422091 422090 422089 422088 422087 422085 422084 422083 422082 422081 422080 422079 422078 422077 422076 422075 422074 422072 421092 421091 421090 421089 421088 421087 421085 421084 421083 421082 421081 421080 421079 421078 421077 421076 421075 421074 421070 420092 420091 420090 420089 420088 420087 420086 420085 420084 420083 420082 420081 420080 420079 420078 420077 420076 420075 420074 420073 420072 420071 420070 419092 419091 419090 419089 419088 419087 419086 419085 419084 419083 419082 419081 419080 419079 419078 419077 419076 419075 419074 419073 419072 419071 419069 418092 418091 418090 418089 418088 418087 418086 418085 418084 418083 418082 418081 418080 418079 418078 418077 418073 417092 417091 417090 417089 417088 417087 417086 417085 417084 417083 417082 417081 416092 416091 416090 416089 416088 416087 416086 416085 416084 416083 416082 416081 415092 415091 415090 414090 415089 414089 415088 414088 415087 414087 415086 414086 415085 414085 415084 414084 415083 414083 415082 414082 415081 414081 414092 413092 414091 413091 503091 503087 503083 503079 503090 502091 502087 503082 502083 502079 502090 501091 501087 502082 502078 425091 504093 506120 506117 506116 506113 506112 506109 506108 505120 505117 505116 505113 505112 505109 505108 505104 504102 505101 504101 505100 504100 504098 505097 504097 504096 505096 504120 503120 503118 504117 503117 504116 503116 503114 504113 503113 504112 503112 503110 503109 504108 503108 503106 504105 503105 504104 503104 503103 506118 505119 506114 505115 506110 505111 505107 505103 505099 505118 504119 505114 504115 505110 504111 505106 504107 505102 504103 505098 504099 504118 503119 504114 503115 504110 503111 504106 503107 504094 505095 505094 504095 518126 518125 518121 518120 518119 518117 518116 518115 518113 518109 518108 518107 518105 518104 518101 518100 518099 518097 517126 517125 518122 517124 517123 517121 518118 517120 517119 517117 518114 517116 517115 517113 518110 517109 518106 517108 517107 517105 518102 517104 517101 518098 517100 517099 517097 516126 516125 517122 516124 516123 516121 517118 516120 516119 516117 517114 516116 516115 516113 517110 517106 516108 516107 516105 517102 516104 516103 516101 517098 516100 516099 516097 515126 515125 516122 515124 515123 515121 516118 515120 515119 515117 516114 515116 515115 515113 516110 516106 515108 515107 515105 516102 515104 515103 515101 516098 515100 515099 515097 514126 514125 515122 514124 514123 514121 515118 514120 514119 514117 515114 514116 514115 514113 515110 514112 514111 514108 514107 514105 515102 514104 514103 514101 515098 514100 514099 514097 513126 513125 514122 513124 513123 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508105 508104 508101 508100 508097 507120 507117 507116 507113 507112 507108 506106 507105 506105 507104 506104 506102 507101 506101 507100 506100 506098 507097 506097 506096 509114 508115 509110 508111 509106 508107 508103 509098 508099 508118 507119 508114 507115 508110 507111 508106 507107 508102 507103 508098 507099 507118 506119 507114 506115 506111 507106 506107 507102 506103 507098 506099 518096 518095 518094 517096 517095 517094 516096 516095 516094 515096 515095 515094 514096 514095 514094 513096 513095 513094 512096 512095 512094 511096 511095 511094 510096 510095 510094 509096 509095 508096 507096 506094 509094 508095 508094 507095 507094 506095 519126 519121 519120 519117 519116 519114 519113 519109 519108 519106 519105 519104 519102 519101 519100 519098 519097 518124 518123 519094 613095 613099 611124 612125 612126 520126 520125 520124 520121 520120 520117 520116 520113 520108 520105 520104 520101 520100 520097 519125 520122 519124 519123 519122 520118 519119 519118 520114 519115 520110 520106 519107 520102 519103 520098 519099 519096 612108 613102 612104 613103 613101 613100 613098 613097 612123 612122 612119 612121 612120 612118 612115 612117 612116 612114 611113 611112 612109 612110 611108 612105 612106 611104 611103 612096 610124 610123 611118 611115 611117 611116 611114 610113 610112 611109 611111 611110 610108 611105 611107 611106 611102 610104 610103 611099 611101 611100 611098 611097 611096 610125 610126 610122 609124 609123 610119 610121 610120 610118 610115 610117 610116 610114 609113 609112 610109 610111 610110 609108 610105 610107 610106 610102 609104 609103 610099 610101 610100 610098 610097 610096 609125 609126 609122 608124 608123 609119 609121 609120 609115 609117 609116 608113 608112 609109 609111 608108 609105 609107 608104 609099 609101 609100 609097 609096 608125 608126 607124 608121 608120 608117 608116 607113 607112 608109 607108 608105 607104 608100 608097 608096 607125 607126 606124 607121 607120 607117 607116 606113 606112 607109 606108 607105 606104 607100 607097 607096 606125 606126 605124 606121 606120 606117 605113 606109 605108 606105 605104 606100 606097 606096 605125 605126 604124 605121 605120 604113 605109 604108 605105 604104 605100 605097 605096 604125 604126 603124 604121 604120 604116 603113 603112 604109 603108 604105 603104 604100 604097 604096 603125 603126 602124 603121 603120 603117 603116 602113 602112 603109 602108 603105 602104 603100 603097 603096 602125 602126 601124 601122 602121 602120 601118 602117 602116 601114 601113 601112 602109 601108 602105 601104 601102 602100 601098 602097 602096 601125 601126 523124 601121 601120 601117 601116 601109 601110 524108 601105 601106 525103 601100 601097 601096 525099 524119 524115 524109 524111 524107 524105 524104 524101 524100 524097 524096 523125 523126 523123 523121 523120 523117 523116 523113 524110 523112 523109 524106 523108 523107 523105 524102 523104 523103 524098 523099 523097 523096 522126 522125 523122 522124 522123 522121 523118 522120 522119 522117 523114 522113 523110 522112 522111 522109 523106 522108 522107 522105 523102 522104 522101 523098 522100 522099 522097 522096 521126 521125 522122 521124 521123 521121 522118 521120 521119 521117 522114 521116 521115 521113 522110 521109 522106 521108 521107 521105 522102 521104 521101 522098 521100 521099 521097 521122 520123 521118 520119 521114 520115 521110 521106 520107 521102 520103 521098 520099 612113 612112 612111 612107 609118 608119 609114 608115 608111 609110 608107 609106 609102 608103 609098 608099 608122 607123 608118 607119 608114 607115 607111 608110 607107 608106 608102 607103 608098 607099 607122 606123 607118 606119 607114 606115 606111 607110 606107 607106 607102 606103 607098 606099 606122 605123 606118 605119 606114 605115 606110 605107 606106 606102 605103 606098 605099 605122 604123 605118 604119 605114 604115 605110 604107 605106 605102 604103 605098 604099 604122 603123 604118 603119 604114 603115 604110 603107 604106 604102 603103 604098 603099 603122 602123 603118 602119 603114 602115 602111 603110 602107 603106 603102 602103 603098 602099 602122 601123 602118 602114 602110 601107 602106 602102 602098 520096 520094 519095 613094 612093 611095 611093 611094 610095 610093 610094 609095 609093 608093 607093 606093 605093 604093 603093 602093 601094 525095 525094 524094 523095 523094 522095 522094 521094 520095 609094 608095 608094 607095 607094 606095 606094 605095 605094 604095 604094 603095 603094 602095 602094 505093 506093 519093 505092 504092 504090 505089 504089 505088 504088 504086 505085 504085 505084 504084 504082 505081 504081 505080 504080 505091 505087 505083 505079 505090 504091 505086 504087 505082 504083 504079 518093 518091 518089 518088 518087 518085 518084 518083 518081 518080 518079 518077 518075 518073 518069 518068 518067 518065 517093 518090 517091 517089 518086 517088 517085 518082 517084 517083 517081 518078 517080 517079 517077 518074 517076 517075 518070 517069 518066 517068 517067 517065 516093 517090 516091 516089 517086 516088 516087 517082 516084 516083 516081 516080 516079 516076 516075 517070 516069 517066 516068 516067 516065 515093 516090 515091 515089 515088 515087 515085 516082 515084 515083 515081 515080 515079 516070 515069 516066 515068 515067 515065 514093 515090 514091 514089 514088 514087 515082 514081 515078 514080 514079 515074 515070 514071 514069 515066 514068 514067 514065 513093 514090 513091 513089 513088 513087 513085 514082 513083 513081 514078 513080 513079 513077 513076 513075 514070 513071 513069 514066 513068 513067 513065 512093 513090 512091 512089 513086 512088 512087 512085 513082 512084 512083 512081 513078 512080 512077 512076 512075 513070 512071 512069 513066 512068 512067 512065 511093 512090 511091 511089 512086 511088 511087 511085 512082 511084 511083 511081 512078 511080 511077 511076 511075 512070 511071 511069 512066 511068 511067 511065 510093 511090 510091 510089 511086 510088 510085 511082 510084 510083 510081 511078 510080 510079 510077 510076 510075 511070 510071 510069 511066 510068 510067 510065 509093 510090 509091 509089 509085 510082 509084 509083 509081 509080 509077 509076 509069 509068 509065 508093 508092 508089 508085 509082 508084 508083 508081 508080 508077 508072 508069 508068 508065 507093 507092 506092 506090 507089 506089 507088 506088 506086 507085 506085 507084 506084 506082 507081 506081 507080 506080 507077 510078 509079 509075 510070 509067 509090 508091 509078 508079 509070 508071 508067 508090 507091 508086 507087 508082 507083 508078 507079 508070 508066 507090 506091 507086 506087 507082 506083 507078 506079 517064 517061 517060 517062 516064 516063 516061 516062 515064 515063 515062 514064 514063 513064 512064 511064 510064 509064 508064 518064 518063 518061 518060 518062 517063 519092 519090 519089 519088 519086 519084 519082 519081 519080 519074 519073 519066 519065 519064 519062 519061 519060 614062 614063 612084 612088 520093 520092 520089 520088 520085 520065 520090 519091 520086 519087 519083 519079 520074 520066 519067 612092 613091 613090 613085 613083 613082 613081 611092 612089 611088 612087 612086 611083 610092 611089 611091 611090 610088 611085 611087 611086 610083 609092 610091 609088 610087 610086 609084 609083 608092 608088 609085 609087 608084 608083 607092 607088 608085 607084 606092 606088 607085 606084 605092 605088 606085 604092 604088 605085 603092 603088 603084 602092 603089 602088 603085 602084 601093 601092 602089 601088 602085 525093 525092 601089 601090 601085 601086 526084 525089 525088 525087 525085 524093 525090 524092 524091 524089 525086 524085 524084 523093 524090 522093 523090 522091 523086 522088 522087 521093 522090 521092 521091 521089 522086 521088 521087 522082 521090 520091 521086 520087 609091 610090 608091 609090 609086 607091 608090 608082 607083 606091 607090 607082 606083 605091 606090 606082 604091 605090 604087 605082 603091 604090 603087 604086 603083 602091 603090 602087 603086 602083 601091 602090 601087 602086 525091 614069 613068 614067 614066 613064 614065 613079 613080 613078 613075 613077 612064 612078 612075 612077 612076 611068 612065 612067 612066 611064 611078 611075 611077 611076 610068 611065 611067 611066 610064 610075 610077 610076 609068 610065 610067 610066 609064 608068 609065 609067 608064 608081 607073 607068 608065 607064 607081 607077 607076 606068 607065 606064 606081 606080 605068 606065 605064 605080 604073 605069 604068 605065 604064 604080 604076 604069 603068 604065 603064 603080 603076 603069 602068 603065 602080 602076 601074 602069 601068 602065 602064 601080 601076 601069 601070 601065 527067 526075 526077 526069 526068 526065 525081 525080 526074 525076 525073 525072 525069 525068 525067 525065 524081 524077 525074 524076 524075 524073 524072 524069 524068 524067 524065 523081 524074 523075 523073 523065 523074 522075 522073 522065 522066 521068 521067 521066 520079 613076 608067 609066 607079 607075 607067 608066 607078 606067 607066 605067 606066 605070 604067 605066 603079 604070 603067 603070 602067 602070 614059 614060 612063 613061 612062 611063 612059 612061 612060 611059 611061 611060 610059 610061 610060 609061 609060 608061 608060 607061 607060 606061 606060 605061 605060 604061 604060 603061 603060 601064 601062 602061 602060 527063 601061 601060 526064 526061 526060 526062 525064 525063 525061 525060 525062 524064 524063 524061 524060 524062 523064 523063 523061 523060 523062 522064 522063 522061 522060 522062 521063 521061 521060 521062 520064 520063 520061 520060 520062 519063 611062 610063 610062 609063 609059 609062 608063 608059 608062 607063 607059 607062 606063 606059 606062 605063 605059 605062 604063 604059 604062 603063 603062 602063 602062 522059 522058 521059 521058 520059 520058 519059 613058 612058 613057 611058 612057 610058 609058 610057 608058 609057 607058 608057 606058 607057 607056 605058 606057 606056 605057 605056 604057 604056 603057 603056 601058 602057 602056 527059 601057 526058 525059 525058 524059 524058 523059 523058 604058 603059 603058 602059 602058 DISTRICT 4 COVERAGE

DISTRICT 5 COVERAGE 417080 416080 415080 414080 413080 412080 411080 410080 417079 416079 415079 414079 413079 412079 411079 410079 417078 416078 415078 414078 413078 412078 411078 410078 418077 417077 416077 415077 414077 413077 412077 411077 410077 418076 417076 416076 415076 414076 413076 412076 411076 410076 418075 417075 416075 415075 414075 413075 412075 411075 410075 415074 414074 413074 412074 411074 410074 409074 416073 415073 414073 413073 412073 411073 410073 409073 408073 407073 406073 405073 404073 403073 402073 401073 415072 414072 413072 412072 411072 410072 409072 408072 407072 406072 405072 404072 403072 402072 401072 415071 414071 413071 412071 411071 410071 409071 408071 407071 406071 405071 404071 403071 402071 401071 415070 414070 413070 410070 409070 408070 407070 406070 405070 404070 403070 402070 401070 413069 412069 411069 410069 409069 408069 407069 406069 405069 404069 403069 402069 401069 412068 411068 410068 409068 408068 407068 406068 405068 404068 403068 402068 401068 Lac La Biche County 411067 410067 409067 408067 407067 406067 405067 404067 403067 402067 401067 416066 412066 411066 410066 409066 408066 407066 406066 405066 404066 403066 402066 401066 410065 409065 408065 407065 406065 405065 402065 416064 415064 412064 409064 408064 404064 401064 417063 416063 415063 412063 409063 408063 404063 417062 415062 412062 411062 410062 415061 414061 M.D. of Bonnyville 402061 417060 415060 414060 403060 402060 401060 404059 403059 402059 Smoky Lake County 419058 County of St. Paul 405058 404058 403058 402058 417057 405057 404057 401057 417056 410056 407056 404056 Lamont County 410055 409055 408055 406055 405055 404055 420054 County of Two Hills 405054 401054 420053 413053 401053 Strathcona County 417052 412052 410052 408052 407052 406052 405052 404052 402052 418051 417051 416050 414051 413051 410051 409051 414050 413050 412050 County of Minburn 406050 405051 405050 County of Vermilion River Beaver County 411049 410049 406049 405049 404049 420048 417048 410048 408048 405048 404048 421047 419047 418047 415047 414047 411047 410047 409047 408047 405047 404047 418046 417046 416046 413046 410046 405046 401046 Camrose County 418045 415045 414045 413045 412045 411045 410045 405045 404045 403045 401045 419044 418044 416044 Flagstaff County 410044 409044 408044 M.D. of Wainwright 402044 401044 417043 414043 413043 410043 408043 407043 406043 403043 402043 417042 413042 411042 409042 406042 405042 404042 403042 402042 401042 421041 416041 415041 410041 409041 406041 405041 404041 402041 401041 412040 411040 410040 409040 408040 407040 404040 402040 401040 412039 407039 406039 405039 408038 407038 406038 405038 404039 403039 M.D. of Provost 404038 403037 402037 401037 40 Connecting the Dots

Source: http://aamdc.com/docman/doc_download/546-woodlands-county APPENDIX B AAMDC SAMPLE COVERAGE MAP (2009) Alberta Rural Broadband Coverage Study 41

APPENDIX C BROADBAND CANADA FUND PROJECTS Source: http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/720.nsf/eng/h_50010.html 42 Connecting the Dots

Main Communities (40) SuperNet Community ISP Serving Community Alder Flats Yes 1 Bear Canyon Yes No Blue Ridge Yes No Brocket Yes No Buck Lake Yes No Donalda Yes No Donnelly Yes No East Coulee No No Etzikom No No Faust Yes 1 Ferintosh No No Foremost Yes No Girouxville No No Grassy Lake Yes 3 Hilda No No Holden Yes No Hussar Yes No Irma Yes 1 Keephills Yes No Keg River Yes No Manyberries Yes No Marlboro No No Mulhurst No No New Dayton No No Nordegg Yes 3 Peerless Lake Yes No Peers Yes 2 Robb No No Rolling Hills Yes No Rosalind Yes 1 Rosebud No No Schuler Yes No Smith Yes No Walsh Yes No Warner Yes No Waterton Park No No Wide Water No No Wildwood Yes No Worsley Yes 2 Wrentham Yes No Supplemental Communities (8) Bruce Yes No Calling Lake Yes 1 Chipewyan Lake Yes Yes Enchant Yes 1 Hays Yes 1 Heinsburg Yes 1 Heisler Yes 1 Iron Springs Yes 1 Approved as of September 2009. APPENDIX D ALBERTA DEFERRAL COMMUNITIES Source: http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2010/2010-639.htm Alberta Rural Broadband Coverage Study 43

APPENDIX H PROJECT DISTRICTS Each district is comprised of multiple municipalities. 44 Connecting the Dots

APPENDIX J ALBERTA TOWNSHIP SYSTEM (ATS) http://www.ags.gov.ab.ca/gis/map_converters/map_conversion_explanation.html Alberta Rural Broadband Coverage Study 45

APPENDIX K ALBERTA CLUTTER DATA Map provided by DMTI Spatial Inc. 46 Connecting the Dots

Connecting the Dots The AAMDC and AUMA encourages the Government of Canada, the Province of Alberta, municipalities, ISPs and individual stakeholders to develop further solutions to complete the final mile. Working together to find cooperative solutions that address local and provincial Internet needs will be an important piece of the puzzle to enable thriving and sustainable rural communities in Alberta. Alberta Rural Broadband Coverage Study 47