People in the remote Northern Ontario area of "Fort Albany First Nation" can now connect with the rest of the country and the world through high-speed internet connections, with neighboring communities following.

"Western James Bay Telecom" launched the fiber optic internet network in the "First Nation" last month, and about 90 out of more than 200 homes have already subscribed.

Sally Brown is the general manager of the indigenous-owned company. She said this new service will enable the community to access remote education, telemedicine, and better job opportunities like never before, which she said would benefit the entire country.

Brown said in an interview: "Canada needs the skills and knowledge that people in these communities can bring to the negotiating table to solve any of the issues we face as a country."

"Climate change, energy, and resource extraction. These are all areas where the skills and experience that indigenous communities have to offer can come to the table through fiber optic connectivity."

Brown calls this revolutionary for the community, likening it to leading a horse and carriage one day and waking up to a Lamborghini the next day.

She said the service was made possible through the groundwork laid by "Five Nations Energy" based in Timmins, another indigenous-owned company that brought electricity and improved telecommunications infrastructure to the far north in the early 2000s.

Looking at future needs, the energy company made additional investments of millions of dollars to install fiber optic cables, then the telecom company took the initiative to build internet infrastructure within communities of Western James Bay over the past decade.

With "Fort Albany" connected by fiber, the goal now is to reach "Attawapiskat" and "Kashechewan First Nation."

Expansion is expected later this year after delays due to the pandemic postponed the initial 2020 completion date.

Pat Shelton, CEO of "Five Nations Energy," said this project will change the lives of people in these communities.