ROBERVAL, QC – Ten communities in Quebec are the first to benefit from improved high-speed Internet access under the Feds’ new rural broadband program Connect to Innovate.
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Minister Navdeep Bains said Thursday that Ambra Solutions will receive up to $13 million in funding to provide faster, more reliable Internet connections from Shawinigan to Chambord, a move impacting thousands of residents throughout the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean and La Mauricie regions. In addition, the improved network access will allow telcos to offer cellphone service along Route 155.
The Government of Quebec is providing matching funding for these projects through its Québec branché program.
“Internet access is now an essential part of everyday life. Canadians go online for education, health services, entertainment and shopping”, said Minister Bains, in the news release. “Faster Internet connections allow Canadians to innovate. It allows them to get the skills and training they need to qualify for well-paying jobs. The smallest businesses, no matter where they are located, can participate fully in the global marketplace and achieve global scale in a flash with faster Internet service. We can no longer consider high-speed Internet a luxury.”
“Thanks to these investments through the Connect to Innovate and Québec branché programs, Ambra Solutions will be able to build a new fibre optic backbone between Saint-Tite and Chambord, creating more options for fibre optic connectivity in the Lac-Saint-Jean region”, added Ambra Solutions president Eric L’Heureux. “In addition, new cell towers using advanced LTE technology will be erected in several municipalities to provide Internet and cell services to residents who now only have access via satellite.”
