News Release
For Immediate Release
Residents of rural communities to benefit from increased connectivity
February 3, 2022 – Ottawa, Ontario – Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed how we live, work, learn and do business, and now more than ever, Canadians across the country need reliable high-speed Internet to access services, supports and opportunities. Through the Universal Broadband Fund’s (UBF) Rapid Response Stream, the Government of Canada is taking immediate action to get people living in rural and remote communities connected to high-speed Internet.
Today, the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development, and Yvonne Jones, Member of Parliament for Labrador, announced over $929,000 in funding to bring high-speed Internet to 528 households in North West River and the Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Today’s announcement builds on the Government of Canada’s progress toward making sure that 98% of Canadians have access to high-speed Internet by 2026. As we work to rebuild from the pandemic, the Government of Canada will continue to make investments in infrastructure to build strong communities and a more competitive and resilient Canada for everyone.
Quotes
“This investment will bring reliable, high-speed Internet access to 528 households in Newfoundland and Labrador, helping create jobs, improving access to health care and online learning services, and keeping people connected. Through the Universal Broadband Fund, the Government of Canada has committed over $2.6 billion to date to connect rural Canadians to better, faster Internet. We will continue making investments like these in rural and remote communities to help connect every single Canadian to high-speed Internet.”
– The Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development “This is excellent news for rural Labrador as a whole! The pandemic has shown us how essential high-speed Internet access has become. The Government of Canada understands that it is urgent and vital to connect rural and remote regions throughout Canada, including Newfoundland and Labrador.”
– Yvonne Jones, Member of Parliament for Labrador
“Big Land Networks is excited to announce the expansion of bigLink Internet, bringing fibre optic Internet to the residents of Sheshatshiu and North West River. bigLink Internet is a brand new fiber-to-the-home service, offering packages with speeds up to 500 Mbps! We would like to thank the Innu Development Limited Partnership and the Government of Canada for the opportunity to provide underserved Labrador communities with high-speed Internet services and to bridge the digital divide by expanding our fibre networks into even more rural areas.”
– David Hall, President of Big Land Networks
Quick facts
· The project announced today is receiving over $929,000 in Government of Canada funding to bring high-speed Internet to 528 households in North West River and the Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation in Newfoundland and Labrador. · 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. · In 2021, 131 projects supported through the Rapid Response Stream of the Universal Broadband Fund (UBF) were announced. These projects will bring high-speed Internet to more than 75,000 households in rural and remote communities across Canada.
· Since 2015, Government of Canada funding has supported projects to bring high-speed Internet to over 1.1 million households in rural and remote communities across Canada.
· The UBF is a $2.75 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.
· 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 $2 billion broadband initiative from the Canada Infrastructure Bank.
Associated Links:
Contacts
Jeremy Bellefeuille, Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Rural Economic Development
343-551-0898 [email protected]
Media Relations
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
343-291-1777 [email protected]
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