Call to Action #62

The status is Active. Responsive activity exists through Indigenous-led connectivity research, federal connectivity planning, broadband funding, regulatory funding, and education-access research. AFN’s digital connectivity work identifies major First Nations broadband and cellular gaps and links reliable telecommunications infrastructure to essential services such as virtual schooling. ISED’s Connectivity Strategy and Universal Broadband Fund provide the national planning and funding framework for improving rural, remote, and Indigenous broadband access. ISC also identifies connectivity as essential for Indigenous communities and links it to education, health, governance, and economic development.⁴ Statistics Canada has conducted distinctions-based research on remoteness and high school completion for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people, while the First Nations Technology Council provides regional Indigenous-led research connecting internet access to education and training outcomes. The evidence does not show one NIES-specific national education-connectivity plan, but current research and implementation are active.