Government of Canada invests to bring high-speed Internet to 756 households in Halton region Français
Ontarians in rural communities to benefit from increased connectivity
OTTAWA, ON, April 1, 2021 /CNW/ - The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how much we rely on our connections. Now more than ever, Canadians across the country need access to reliable high-speed Internet as many of us are working, learning, and staying in touch with friends and family from home. Right now, too many Canadians living in rural and remote communities lack access to high-speed Internet. Through the Universal Broadband Fund's (UBF) Rapid Response Stream, the Government of Canada is taking immediate action to get Canadians connected to the high-speed Internet they need.
Today, Adam van Koeverden, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth and to the Minister of Canadian Heritage (Sport) and Member of Parliament for Milton, on behalf of the Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development, announced $441,200 in funding for Bell Canada to bring high-speed Internet to rural Ontario residents. Bell will contribute $1,286,200 toward this project that will connect 756 underserved households to high-speed Internet in the following communities and surrounding rural areas: Ashgrove, Campbellville, Carlisle, Cedar Springs, Freelton, Hornby, Morriston, Waterdown and other areas just outside Milton.
The project being announced today was approved within five months of the formal launch of the $1.75-billion Universal Broadband Fund. Projects funded under the UBF, as well as through other public and private investments, will help connect 98% of Canadians to high-speed Internet by 2026 and achieve the national target of 100% connectivity by 2030.
Today's announcement builds on the progress the Government of Canada has already made to improve critical infrastructure in Ontario. Since 2015, the federal government has invested more than $2.85 billion in over 4,060 infrastructure projects in Ontario communities with populations under 100,000 people. These investments mean 481 km of new or upgraded roads that are making our communities safer; more than 938 projects to provide residents with cleaner, more sustainable sources of drinking water; and more than 5,427 additional housing units built in rural communities, helping ensure all Ontarians have a safe place to call home.
Quotes
"Today is a really important day for so many of our neighbours here in Halton. Fast and reliable Internet is essential for full participation in modern society. Rural households in our region deserve the same access to high-speed broadband. Work from home, at-home learning and telehealth are all normal, daily needs that rely on connectivity. Many rural residents are also farmers, business people and entrepreneurs who depend on reliable online access to the global economy to put food on the table. That is why I am so proud of our government's Universal Broadband Fund program, which will ensure that 98% of Canadians have access to high-speed connectivity by 2026, and 100% of Canadians by 2030. The project announced today, funded under the Rapid Response Stream, demonstrates that for neighbours here in our region, progress will occur even sooner."
– Adam van Koeverden, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth and to the Minister of Canadian Heritage (Sport) and Member of Parliament for Milton
"Access to high-speed broadband networks will be a driver of not only Canada's recovery from COVID-19 but also future social and economic prosperity, and Bell has committed to further accelerating our industry-leading capital investment plan over the next two years to connect even more communities across the country. We're proud to invest $1,286,200 in partnership with the Government of Canada to provide more than 750 rural Ontario households with access to the fastest fibre home Internet speeds available."
– Bruce Furlong, Senior Vice President, Access Engineering and Deployment, Bell Canada
Quick facts
- 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.
- Applications to the Universal Broadband Fund were accepted until March 15, 2021, and are now being evaluated.
- The UBF is part of a suite of federal investments to improve high-speed Internet. The suite includes the Connect to Innovate program, which is expected to connect nearly 400,000 households by 2023, and the recently announced $2-billion broadband initiative from the Canada Infrastructure Bank.
Associated links
- Backgrounder: Universal Broadband Fund and Telesat low Earth orbit satellite capacity agreement
- Universal Broadband Fund
- Connect to Innovate Program – Project status updates
- Canada Infrastructure Bank announcement
- High-Speed Access for All: Canada's Connectivity Strategy
Stay connected
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SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
Marie-Pier Baril, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development, 613-295-8123, [email protected]; Media Relations, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, 343-291-1777, [email protected]
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