Combined federal and provincial investment of over $97 million will connect more than 18,600 homes
to high-speed Internet
SUDBURY,
ON, June 24, 2024 /CNW/ - Fairness for every
generation means making sure everyone in Canada has access to reliable and affordable
high-speed Internet, no matter where they live. That is why the
governments of Canada and
Ontario are bringing high-speed
Internet access to underserved communities—including Indigenous
communities—in Ontario.
Today, the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural
Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic
Canada Opportunities Agency, and Amarjot
Sandhu, Parliamentary Assistant to Ontario's Minister of Infrastructure, on
behalf of the Honourable Kinga Surma, Ontario's Minister of Infrastructure,
announced over $97 million in combined federal and provincial
funding for ROCK Networks, a PomeGran group company. The project
will bring high-speed Internet access to more than 60 communities
along the north shore of Lake
Huron between Sudbury,
Huron Shores and Sault Ste. Marie, and on Manitoulin Island. It
will serve 18,600 households, including over 2,500 Indigenous
households. Minister Hutchings and Parliamentary Assistant Sandhu
were joined by Viviane Lapointe,
Member of Parliament for Sudbury;
Terry Sheehan, Member of Parliament
for Sault Ste. Marie and
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour and Seniors; and
Marc G. Serré, Member of Parliament for Nickel Belt, Parliamentary
Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, and
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Official Languages.
The project being announced today is part of an existing
partnership between Ontario and
Canada. On July 29, 2021, the governments announced a
Canada–Ontario broadband partnership to support large–scale,
fibre-based projects that will provide high-speed Internet access
to nearly 280,000 households across the province. This historic
agreement was made possible by a joint federal–provincial
investment totalling more than $1.2
billion.
Everyone in Canada will have
access to high-speed Internet by 2030, and 98% of Canadians will be
connected by 2026. Canada is on
track to meet its 2026 connectivity targets. These projects will
contribute to reaching that goal, and the government will continue
to invest in infrastructure that creates new opportunities in
communities to make sure they can benefit from all of Canada's potential. The announcement also
brings the Government of Ontario
closer to achieving its goal of bringing reliable high-speed
Internet access to every community across the province by the end
of 2025.
Quotes
"High-speed Internet is no longer considered just a luxury. The
federal funding committed today will bring reliable high-speed
Internet to more than 18,600 underserved homes in communities
across Northern Ontario.
Communities large and small need to have a reliable connection so
they can grow their potential in this digital world."
– The Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic
Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada
Opportunities Agency
"Every community deserves access to reliable and affordable
high-speed Internet. Our government has been delivering on its
promise to ensure every Canadian from coast to coast to coast has
access, no matter where they live. As Chair of the Northern Ontario
Caucus, I have heard first-hand from communities across
Northern Ontario about the need
for equitable service, and this investment brings us one step
closer to ensuring every single Canadian has access to high-speed
Internet by 2030."
– Viviane Lapointe, Member of
Parliament for Sudbury
"I am proud that our government is taking action to bring
high-speed connectivity to the Algoma District and Northern Ontario. In a digitally connected
world, rapid and reliable access is essential everywhere. The
funding announced today will help connect us for doing business,
accessing health care and education, and building community."
– Terry Sheehan, Member of
Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie
and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour and
Seniors
"The Universal Broadband Fund (UBF) continues to make a positive
difference for Nickel Belt and Northern
Ontario, significantly enhancing connectivity and supporting
economic growth. Through today's investment and past UBF projects,
we've empowered local businesses, improved access to essential
services and enriched the quality of life for residents. This is
another step in ensuring no community is left behind as we build a
more inclusive and connected future for all."
– Marc G. Serré, Member of Parliament for Nickel Belt,
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural
Resources, and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Official
Languages
"Today's announcement builds on our government's unwavering
commitment to bring reliable high-speed Internet access to every
community across the province, including Indigenous communities, by
the end of 2025. By continuing to invest in key infrastructure like
high-speed Internet, we are building a stronger Ontario and helping to ensure that no one is
left behind, no matter where they live."
– The Honourable Kinga Surma, Ontario's Minister of Infrastructure
"Thanks to a combined investment of over $97 million from
the governments of Canada and
Ontario, residents of Huron Shores and Manitoulin Island will have
the tools they need to succeed in today's digital world. This
investment brings us another step closer to fulfilling our
government's ambitious goal of delivering reliable high-speed
Internet access to every community across Ontario by the end of 2025."
– Amarjot Sandhu, Parliamentary
Assistant to Ontario's Minister of
Infrastructure
"The government's funding is a game-changer for connectivity in
Huron Shores and Manitoulin
Island. Beyond connecting households, it paves the way for
educational opportunities, telemedicine advancements and thriving
local businesses. It's about building a stronger, more connected
community for generations to come."
– Georges Bilodeau, Chairperson of
H&M COFI Corporation
"This investment is a testament to our commitment to bridging
the digital divide in rural and Indigenous communities. With an
open-access network, we aim to make high-speed Internet more
accessible and affordable, driving economic growth and innovation
in the region."
– Joe Hickey, President and Founder
of ROCK Networks and President of PomeGran
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.
- The Universal Broadband Fund is a $3.225
billion investment by the Government of Canada designed to help provide high-speed
Internet access to 98% of Canadians by 2026 and achieve the
national target of 100% access by 2030.
- Today, 93.5% of Canadian households have access to high-speed
Internet, compared to just 79% in 2014.
- In Ontario, 92.9% of
households currently have access to high-speed Internet, compared
to 86.9% in 2017.
- Since 2015, the Government of Canada has invested nearly $852 million in connectivity projects in
Ontario.
- The Ontario government is
investing nearly $4 billion to bring
access to reliable high-speed Internet to every community across
the province by the end of 2025. This is the largest single
investment in high-speed Internet in any province, by any
government in Canadian history.
- As of June 2024, Ontario has finalized agreements worth more
than $2.4 billion for over 270
high–speed Internet and cellular projects to enable access for over
539,000 homes and businesses across the province.
- Ontario launched an
interactive online map that shows where provincially funded
high-speed Internet projects are planned, are currently under way
or have been recently completed in communities across the province.
Ontarians can use the map to search by address, community or
municipality to learn about projects happening in their area and
find out where high-speed Internet service is currently
available.
- In 2021, Ontario passed the
Supporting Broadband and Infrastructure Expansion Act, 2021
to help speed up construction of high-speed Internet projects. To
build on this legislation, the Ontario government passed the Getting
Ontario Connected Act, 2022, which further reduces barriers,
duplication and delays.
Associated links
- Rural economic development
- High-Speed Internet Access Dashboard
- Universal Broadband Fund
- Backgrounder: Universal Broadband Fund and Telesat low Earth
orbit capacity agreement
- Canada Infrastructure Bank: Broadband
- High-Speed Access for All: Canada's Connectivity Strategy
- National Broadband Internet Service Availability Map
- Ontario connects: making
high-speed Internet accessible in every community
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