LOUISEVILLE, QC – Up to 100,000 households in 360 rural and remote communities in Quebec will receive improved high-speed Internet thanks to a joint federal-provincial investment of up to $290 million in the province.
Monday’s announcement from Louiseville, one of the 14 regions that will benefit from this funding, said that of the $290 million, $87 million will come from the federal government's Connect to Innovate initiative, $105 million will come from the Province of Quebec through its Québec Branché program (French web page); and $98 million will come from private companies and donors.
Three companies will receiving funding for projects in the Mauricie region that will provide more than 5,000 households with high-speed Internet services:
– Maskicom will receive $10.4 million to provide households in the Maskinongé regional county municipality with access to high-speed Internet services;
– Bell Canada will receive $198,000 for the communities of Saint-Thomas-de-Caxton and Le Petit-Village; and
– Sogetel will receive $233,000 for households in the Saint-Barnabé municipality.
"Affordable high-speed Internet services are no longer luxuries; they are basic tools for all Canadians, regardless of where they live”, said Innovation, Science and Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains (pictured), in the announcement. “Canadians need these services to do business and build strong communities. Innovation takes place everywhere in Canada, in cities and in rural areas, so all Canadians must have access to these services to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the digital economy."
In photo: Minister Bains seen on periscope via the ISED Twitter feed
