TRURO, NS and ARVIAT, NU – Nova Scotia’s Seaside Wireless Communications and Northwest Territories’ SSi Micro Ltd. are the latest two Internet service providers to benefit from the federal government’s Connecting Canadians program.
Seaside will receive approximately $6 million to bring expanded and improved high-speed Internet services to approximately 14,000 households and businesses in Nova Scotia, in communities that include Pictou, Antigonish, Colchester, Guysborough, Inverness, Cape Breton, Cumberland, Richmond, and Victoria.
The project is expected to be completed by August 2018, and will deliver average Internet speeds of 5 Mbps.
“This project will go a long way toward our company's goal of closing the gap between rural and urban Internet experience”, said Seaside CEO Loran Tweedie, in the news release. “It will make a big difference to our customers, for whom affordable high-speed Internet is an essential service, and will be yet another reason why it's great to live in rural Nova Scotia."
In a separate announcement, SSi Micro Ltd. will receive $35 million to extend and enhance satellite Internet service for approximately 8,600 homes in Nunavut. Communities that will benefit as a result of this investment include Arctic Bay, Arviat, Baker Lake, Cambridge Bay, Cape Dorset, Chesterfield Inlet, Clyde River, Coral Harbour, Gjoa Haven, Grise Fiord, Hall Beach, Igloolik, Iqaluit, Kimmirut, Kugaaruk, Kugluktuk, Pangnirtung, Pond Inlet, Qikiqtarjuaq, Rankin Inlet, Repulse Bay, Resolute Bay, Sanikiluaq, Taloyoak and Whale Cove.
While the leases to provide these services expire in 2016, this funding will ensure high-speed Internet remains available in these regions after 2016, while also greatly improving Internet speed for northerners, reads the announcement. The enhanced service will be available starting next year, delivering download speeds of at least 3 Mbps.
"SSi is excited to once again work with the Government of Canada to improve broadband in Nunavut”, said founder and CEO Jeff Philipp, in that release. “This major investment will bring in exciting new technologies, provide a massive upgrade to network capacity and allow enhanced broadband to benefit consumers in all 25 communities of the territory."
