Canada plans sovereign broadband backbone linking the country to Europe and Asia

Canada plans to develop a national broadband backbone designed to provide a more direct and secure connection between the country and international networks. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the project at the Canada Investment Summit on 15 September, describing it as a sovereign broadband backbone connecting Canadians from coast to coast to coast.

The planned infrastructure would also establish more direct links to Europe and Asia. The government says it intends to help finance the project while bringing in private investment through its broader infrastructure plans.

The initiative forms part of the government’s wider effort to expand Canada’s national infrastructure and strengthen its strategic autonomy. Carney has linked this approach to the need for greater resilience in areas including technology, data, AI, payments and other critical capabilities.

The government’s new Productivity Mega Deduction is also expected to support investment in fibre infrastructure. The measure allows businesses to immediately deduct the cost of a broader range of capital investments, including fibre-optic cable and other infrastructure.

The broadband project is also connected to Canada’s plans to improve its domestic digital and AI infrastructure. At the same investment summit, the government announced a major AI infrastructure hub in Saskatchewan, while Carney later described secure broadband connections and sovereign computing capacity as areas where Canada and Europe could cooperate.

The announcement does not yet set out the detailed design, implementation timeline or financing structure of the broadband backbone. The project is expected to form part of the infrastructure funded through capital raised from long-term concessions for Canada’s four largest airports, alongside other national infrastructure projects.