Deadline Date: August 13, 2026
The CRTC has launched a new call for proposals under its Broadband Fund to improve access to reliable and high-quality Internet and cellphone services across underserved communities in Canada.
The programme focuses on increasing access to high-speed Internet services meeting or exceeding 50/10 Mbps targets, expanding connectivity in underserved rural, remote, and Indigenous communities, improving Internet services in satellite-dependent communities, increasing satellite transport capacity, enhancing cellphone coverage, and supporting connectivity for households, schools, healthcare facilities, community centres, businesses, and major road networks.
The Broadband Fund is part of a broader effort by federal, provincial, and territorial governments to close the connectivity gap in underserved regions. It supports projects that bring essential telecommunications services to communities that lack reliable access, helping improve quality of life and enabling participation in the digital economy.
Through previously funded initiatives, the programme has already made significant progress by allocating approximately $771 million to projects that deliver Internet and cellphone services to over 54,000 homes across more than 320 communities. It has also improved cellphone coverage along over 650 kilometres of major roads and supported the installation of nearly 6,000 kilometres of fibre infrastructure nationwide.
The objective of the current call, known as Call 4, is to further expand access to high-speed Internet by supporting projects that deliver fixed broadband services in underserved areas and enhance telecommunications services in satellite-dependent communities. This includes both traditional broadband infrastructure projects and those aimed at improving satellite connectivity.
Eligible applicants include corporations, whether for-profit or not-for-profit, incorporated in Canada, as well as provincial, territorial, and municipal entities or public bodies established by law. Indigenous governments and band councils, including First Nations, Inuit, and Métis groups, are also eligible to apply, along with partnerships, joint ventures, or consortia formed by these entities.
The initiative continues to play a vital role in strengthening Canada’s digital infrastructure by ensuring that more communities gain access to fast, reliable Internet and improved cellphone services, ultimately supporting economic development, public safety, and social inclusion.
For more information, visit Government of Canada.
