AGA Update: KABDA & Flexinet

By Donald Sam,
Interim Sector Director (Senior Manager)

With files from Janice Alpine,
Business Development Officer, Tourism Engagement, KRBI

and Shane Stewart
Business Development Officer, Ktunaxa Ready Manager

At the beginning of 2020, the economy was faced with COVID-19 restrictions that affected it with a drastic requirement to halt business activities.

This resulted in many businesses closing their doors and some who may never recover.

KABDA has been instrumental in ensuring all announcements and bulletins from the Federal government were sent to the client data base as they rolled in.

Much of the work has been done in a Remote Working Environment via virtual meetings and mindful if in-person meetings were to helping it was done abiding by social distancing requirements.

Shane Stewart joined the team as a Business Development Officer with excellent momentum, as the pandemic struck the economy was uncertain and entrepreneurs began self-preservation mode and the Business Development officers began the road to supporting closures, downsizing and offering communication on Canada’s COVID-19 relief funding and support businesses to pivot into a new business model.


WHAT DOES KABDA DO?

KABDA assists and mentors Ktunaxa entrepreneurs and businesses who request help.


We help with:

  • capacity growth,
  • funding for additional equipment,
  • website and marketing,
  • business planning and cash-flow forecasting,
  • one-on-one training and
  • new start-up businesses and feasibility studies.
  • We receive high levels of communication from entrepreneurs that just want to ‘bounce’ ideas off us, we are here to help with anything business related.

By the end of 2020 KABDA was able to work in a collaborated effort and draw on the Economic and Investment Staff to offer support in a more complete and balanced approach that included expertise in; Industry Engagement, Procurement and Business Analysis, Economics, Business Development, and Tourism.

Intake of overall Indigenous clients increased by 50.4% from last fiscal.

KABDA News Link

Other Facebook Video Links:

FLEXINET

Since December 2020 we have been meeting regularly with CBT/CBBC focusing on the wholesale internet that FlexiNet purchases from CBBC and sells on to its clients.


We are working on creating pricing models for the communities and Ktunaxa citizens that will eventually allow FlexiNet to be competitive with speeds and pricing.


It hasn’t been easy for FlexiNet over they years, with the high cost of internet and maintenance expenditures, FlexiNet has struggled to turn a profit. We are working closely with David Monson (General Manager) on business development, structure, pricing, customer support, customer retention, upgrading infrastructure through federal and regional grants and supporting the Ktunaxa people with fast, reliable and affordable connectivity.

The grants total almost $3mil (via 4 x individual grants). These funds will be used to upgrade and replace some of the Ktunaxa Nation Network (KNN), strengthen the tower to tower connectivity, to bring faster more reliable and competitive priced internet to the FlexiNet users. This is all part of the business development Plan with FlexiNet.


Akisqnuk is one of the locations a portion of the grant funds are being allocated. This will be a Fibre to the Home (FTTH) project and Phase 1 started in June 2021.


Phase 2 will be completed in 2022, this will allow the option of fibre speed internet at lower prices for all the Akisqnuk citizens. Phase 1 is being funded by 2 grants and the KNC then Phase 2 will be funded by the remaining 2 grants. The RDEK is in full support of the upgrade projects as they are very keen to see faster speeds in the Valley.



Categories: AGA 2021