The Canadian government on Wednesday announced more than $73 million in federal funding from the Universal Broadband Fund (UBF) for two projects – one led by Rogers and another by Xplore – to bring high-speed internet access to more than 27,600 households in over 500 rural and remote communities across New Brunswick.
Rogers is to receive $40.7 million in UBF money to deliver fibre-based internet access to 15,254 households in 288 communities, while Xplore has been promised $32.4 million in UBF funding to bring fibre internet connectivity to 12,393 homes in 239 communities.
“We know how important reliable Internet is for Canadians across the country to stay connected and for businesses to operate and grow,” Mark Kennedy, chief technology officer at Rogers, said in a Wednesday press release from the federal government. “As part of our commitment to bringing Canadians the biggest and best networks, we’re proud to be expanding access to high-speed Internet to more homes across rural New Brunswick.”
“Xplore is committed to bringing fast, reliable connectivity to communities across New Brunswick,” Xplore CEO Brent Johnston said in a statement. “With support from the Government of Canada through the Universal Broadband Fund, we are expanding our 100% pure fibre Internet network to thousands of additional homes in western New Brunswick. This build is an important step to improve access to modern, reliable connectivity across the province. Fibre-powered Internet strengthens local economies, supports access to health and education services, and keeps families connected — no matter their postal code.”
According to a backgrounder accompanying the federal government’s press release, the expected completion date for the Rogers and Xplore projects is December 2028.
The UBF is a $3.225-billion investment by the Canadian government designed to help provide high-speed internet access to 98 per cent of Canadian households by the end of 2026 and 100 per cent of households by 2030.
The government said in its press release it is on track to meet its connectivity target.
