Thousands of MCSnet customers eligible to receive Fiber-to-the-Home Internet

ST. PAUL, AB, March 16, 2026 /CNW/ - MCSnet is fortunate to receive funding from the Universal Broadband Fund (UBF) and Alberta Broadband Fund (ABF) to serve another 3,401 homes and businesses with fiber optics — a total project cost of over $31 M.

The official announcement was made on January 30, 2026 at the Ardrossan Recreation Centre with the Honourable Buckley Belanger, Secretary of State for Rural Development, together with the Honourable Nate Glubish, Minister of Technology and Innovation of Alberta.

MCSnet Communities to Benefit

• Chipman
• Fawcett
• Birch Cove
• Lac La Nonne
• Lac La Biche (Lakeview Estates, Greenbank Estates, Sunset Bay)
• Larkspur
• Lavoy
• Lottie Lake 
• Lower Mann Lake
• Upper Mann Lake
• Pelican Narrows
• Bonnyville Beach (and other select areas of Moose Lake)
• Muriel Lake
• Nakamun Par
• Ardrossan (Gun Mannor and Pleasant View)
• Little Johnson Lake
• Ranfurly
• Streamstown (Silver Willow and Ravine View)
• Rossian
• Mewatha Beach
• Bondiss
• Thunder Lake
• Vimy
• Horseshoe Bay
• Vincent Lake
• White Gull
• Edberg
• Heisler
• Killam
• Braim

^*As a company rooted in St. Paul, AB, we have a personal stake in seeing our neighbors succeed. This funding isn't just a line item on a balance sheet—it's a catalyst that deepens our commitment to the communities we call home. We are invested in this province, and we're excited to continue building the infrastructure that keeps rural Alberta connected." - Jerome VanBrabant, Chief Projects Officer, MCSnet

Preliminary meetings between the municipalities being served and MCSnet have been taking place over the past few months for design and planning purposes. Mainline fiber construction began along Highway 13 in the summer of 2025, and within the MD of Bonnyville, late 2025. Projects must be completed by March, 2027.

Information letters regarding Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) services are currently being mailed to notify eligible property owners. Additional details about this process can be found on the MCSnet website .

MCSnet made the application to the Alberta Broadband Fund/Universal Broadband Fund in late 2024 for any areas that the department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) deemed eligible. Many of the locations are lake properties that are difficult to serve wirelessly because of the trees and terrain.

MCSnet's Sixth Successful Grant Project

To date, MCSnet has received over $34 M in grant funding and has invested over $27 M of its own funds as part of previous matching grant programs to improve internet speeds for over 36,000 homes and businesses in Northeastern Alberta.

MCSnet started delivering Fiber-to-the-Home services in Mallaig, Fort Kent, and Cherry Grove in 2019. It has also completed a project in the Hamlet of Thorhild and it is currently finishing its Fiber-to-the-Home project in the MD of Bonnyville that was announced in 2024 .

SOURCE MCSnet