Government of Canada continues to accelerate progress on connecting all Canadians to high-speed Internet

Annual results show that more rural communities across the country will benefit from increased connectivity

OTTAWA, ON, Dec. 15, 2022 /CNW/ - No matter where you live, access to reliable, affordable high-speed Internet is essential. Connecting with loved ones, growing a business, working remotely and accessing vital services, like health care and education, require a fast, dependable Internet connection.

Today, the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development, reported on the Government of Canada's rapid progress toward its goal of connecting all Canadians, no matter where they live, to high-speed Internet.

A year of progress

In November 2022, the Prime Minister of Canada, the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, announced a $475 million top-up to the Universal Broadband Fund (UBF), bringing the program's total funding to $3.225 billion. As a result of the UBF and other federal and provincial investments, the Government of Canada is on track to meet its goal of providing access to high-speed Internet to 98% of Canadian households by 2026 and 100% by 2030. Today, over 93.5% of Canadian households have access to high-speed Internet or are targeted to receive access through existing program commitments, compared to just 79% in 2014.

Since the launch of the UBF, 251 projects, which will serve up to 328,000 households with affordable and reliable high-speed Internet, have been announced. This includes 117 projects announced in 2022 alone. The Government of Canada looks forward to announcing more UBF projects through 2023. Projects are posted online as they are announced.

Real results, real progress

The Rapid Response Stream (RRS) was developed to fund shovel-ready projects that could connect households quickly. Today, RRS projects are offering service to 83,000 households across the country, including up to 9,000 Indigenous households.

The Government of Canada has also entered into co-funding partnerships with Quebec, Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, Alberta, British Columbia, and Prince Edward Island to connect up to 823,000 households in those provinces. With nearly $2 billion in provincial co-funding secured, these partnerships allow for more households to be connected with UBF funding, which helps deliver the national connectivity targets faster.

Many provinces have made significant progress toward achieving universal connectivity already. With a total of $920 million in federal-provincial co-funding under Canada–Quebec Operation High Speed, Quebec has achieved our common goal of offering high-speed Internet access to all residents in the province. Many other provinces, including Prince Edward Island, British Columbia and Nova Scotia, are also very close to achieving universal connectivity. The Government of Canada is working hard with all provinces and territories to get remaining underserved households connected.

Investments under the UBF are producing tangible results for Canadians. In Sylvan Lake, Alberta, residents are already experiencing the benefits of a fast, stable Internet connection. Members of the community reported significant improvements in their day-to-day lives. Thanks to their new high-speed Internet service, a husband and wife brokerage team are now able to work from home instead of exclusively at the office. This increased productivity and flexibility has meant they are consistently placed among the top brokers in their firm across the country. In Pikangikum First Nation, Ontario, the Starlink terminals purchased with RRS funding have already connected the local health authority, the band office, the school, the community centre, the nursing station and the police headquarters to high-speed Internet. This connectivity helped the health authority keep the upper hand during the COVID-19 pandemic through telehealth and online learning.

In November 2022, the government launched an interactive High-Speed Internet Access Dashboard to provide Canadians with the latest information on the government's progress toward achieving universal high-speed Internet access. The dashboard allows Canadians to track national progress and government funding by province and territory.

The work continues

Since 2015, the federal government has allocated more than $7.6 billion toward improving connectivity across Canada. These investments will ensure that rural communities' ability to benefit from important services is no longer limited because of a lack of high-speed Internet access. The Government of Canada will continue to work with provinces and territories, municipalities, Indigenous communities and Internet service providers so that all Canadians, no matter where they live, have access to high-speed Internet as soon as possible.

Quotes 

"We all know that Internet is no longer a luxury in this day and age—it's a necessity. Access to fast, reliable Internet helps rural and remote communities by levelling the playing field so they can access essential services like health care and education, participate in the digital economy or simply connect with loved ones. Our progress this year has brought us closer than ever to our goal of connecting all Canadians, no matter where they live, to reliable, high-speed Internet by 2030. I am happy to report that in 2022, we are providing access to over 93.5% of Canadian households, compared to 79% in 2014, and are well on our way to reaching our target."
– The Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development

Quick facts

• The Universal Broadband Fund (UBF) is a $3.225 billion investment by the Government of Canada designed to help connect 98% of Canadians to high-speed Internet by 2026 and achieve the national target of 100% connectivity by 2030.
• Today, 93.5% of Canadian households have access to high-speed Internet or are targeted to receive access through existing program commitments, compared to just 79% in 2014.
• Canada's Connectivity Strategy aims to provide all Canadians with access to Internet speeds of at least 50 megabits per second (Mbps) download / 10 Mbps upload.
• Since 2015, the Government of Canada has made $7.6 billion available to build or improve broadband Internet infrastructure from coast to coast to coast.
• The Government of Canada has also launched an update to the National Broadband Internet Service Availability Map. Through this interactive tool, Canadians can find Internet service providers and connectivity projects under way in their area.

Associated links

• Canada's Connectivity Strategy
• High-Speed Internet Access Dashboard
• National Broadband Internet Service Availability Map
• Rural Economic Development
• High-speed Internet for all Canadians
• Backgrounder: Universal Broadband Fund and Telesat low Earth orbit capacity agreement
• Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Communications Market Reports

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SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Contacts: Hugo Alvarez, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Rural Economic Development, 343-551-7846, [email protected]; Media Relations, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, [email protected]