Batchewana First Nation launches telecom company

Batchewana First Nation is getting into the telecommunications business.

The Indigenous community has a partnership with Bancroft, Ont.-based Northern Rural Networks to launch Batchewana Telecom, aiming to provide affordable high-speed internet, phone and TV service to Indigenous and rural communities across Canada.

Chief Dean Sayers said the need for reliable high-speed internet in rural areas became apparent during the pandemic as students shifted to a remote learning model.

“We’ve been really struggling since COVID with being able to provide equitable access to some really great Internet signal for our kids in our outlying communities,” Sayers said.

“We were able to find a solution, and we thought, let’s see if we can maybe extend this and make it into an entrepreneurial opportunity. And that’s what we did.”

Northern Rural Networks offers expertise in wireless telecommunications technology. CFO Derick Wong said with service already being delivered to communities in Saskatchewan, Batchewana Telecom is set to go national.

“Batchewana Telecom setting up something with the Saskatchewan First Nation is our first step,” Wong said.

“We can look at opening up the former trade routes between Sault Ste. Marie and the First Nations in Saskatchewan in terms of doing that.”

Sayers said the idea of a First Nations-owned telecom company has been shopped around to chiefs across Canada, and the response has been strong.

“It is pretty exciting thinking about the ability of a First Nation to once again find a place in trade amongst not only Indigenous communities, but some of the settler communities, some of the rural communities,” said Sayers.

Batchewana Telecom’s current network is comprised of more than 40 telecommunications towers between northern Ontario and Saskatchewan.

Sayers said the company will be a job creator, with positions to be filled in the near future.