Clearwater County in west-central Alberta is building a county-owned Open Access fiber network to deliver reliable, high-speed connectivity across a large rural area—while enabling competition and protecting long-term public value.

Facing unreliable broadband and limited provider choice, the County adopted a multi-year Open Access strategy that separates infrastructure ownership from service delivery. The result: shared fiber infrastructure, multiple ISPs, and 24/7 operations without scaling County staff.