GATINEAU – Seven more projects in Quebec have been conditionally approved through the government’s ‘Broadband Canada: Connecting Rural Canadians’ program.
Tuesday’s announcement said that the projects will bring broadband Internet access to approximately 29,000 additional households in the province. Barrett Xplore, Kativik Regional Government, Michaud Technologies, Télécommunications Xittel and Videotron have been named to share in the $17.6 million investment.
“Broadband Internet will mean boundless opportunities for these communities,” said Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon, in a statement. “These latest announcements, together with those from round one announced in May, mean that these Quebec households will soon be on-line at modern, multimedia-capable speeds.”
As part of the 2009 federal budget, Canada’s Economic Action Plan earmarked $225 million for the development and implementation of a strategy to extend broadband coverage. ‘Broadband Canada: Connecting Rural Canadians’, the biggest component of this strategy, targets Canadians living in unserved and underserved areas.
