THUNDER BAY, ON: Matawa First Nations (MFN) today announced that they joined the First Mile Connectivity Consortium (FMCC), a national organization of First Nations community-based telecommunications organization established to support remote and rural communities’ efforts to develop essential and appropriate broadband connections. MFNM joined in order to build more capacity for the Rapid Lynx project.

Other First Nation organization members of the consortium include: First Nations Education Council (Quebec), First Nations Technical Services Advisory Group Inc. (Alberta), Atlantic Canada Frist Nations Help Desk (Atlantic region), First Nations Technology Council (British Columbia), First Nations Health and Social Secretariat of Manitoba and Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre Inc. (Manitoba), Keewaytinook Okimakanak K-Net Services (Ontario), Western James Bay Telecom Network (Ontario) and the Native Communications Society of the NWT (NWT). University research partners include the University of New Brunswick, the University of Alberta and the First Nations Innovation Project (New Brunswick). For a complete list of FMCC representatives visit http://firstmile.ca and select the FMCC tab.

Today’s announcement comes after welcoming funding commitments on October 6, 2017 from federal and provincial governments to assist in establishing state of the art fibre-to-the-home high-speed broadband in 5 fly-in/remote First Nations. MFN met the FMCC board of directors and members on October 25, 2017 in Fredericton, New Brunswick, where FMCC has its national office.

FMCC utilizes the First Mile approach to network infrastructure development which includes local broadband ownership and control over local telecom networks and infrastructure. With MFN building fibre-to-the-home networks in each community, First Nations across Canada will now be looking to create similar broadband networks and services for their community members. The MFN project creates new opportunities for all First Nations across the country.