Key Takeaways:
- The federal government announced a $55 million investment in New Brunswick to help rural, isolated, and Indigenous communities get high-speed internet.
- Around 20,000 homes in New Brunswick may need to be included in future developments due to a lack of high-speed internet access.
- Bell announced plans to provide fibre broadband connectivity to more than 20,000 locations in New Brunswick earlier this week.
On Friday, the federal government said that it would invest $55 million in New Brunswick to provide high-speed internet to many rural, isolated, and Indigenous communities.
Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development, said the funds would assist connect 11,000 families.
“Connectivity was a problem long before the pandemic, but the pandemic pulled off the Band-Aid,” Hutching said in Miramichi, N.B., as she announced.
We now have youngsters doing their homework at the kitchen table; we can work from home, access goods as well as services online, and keep in touch with loved ones,” she explained.
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“It’s also Canada’s future because that’s where actual economic growth is.”
The minister said the initiatives with Rogers and Xplornet would include connecting households with fibre-optic cable and also will be revealed in the coming months.
There was no mention of provincial funds in the funding announcement.
“With Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island, I have memorandums of understanding,” Hutchings added. “Today’s funding is solely from the federal government. Other provinces and territories are negotiating with us.”
According to Hutchings, around 20,000 residences in New Brunswick without high-speed internet connectivity will need to be incorporated into future developments.
The federal government has set a national goal of providing high-speed internet to all Canadians by 2030.
Earlier this week, Bell announced plans to deliver fibre broadband connectivity to more than 20,000 places in New Brunswick. Bell has completely funded the initiative, which will increase access to more than 25 towns.
Source: Global News
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