The CRTC announced last week it is committing more than $17 million from its Broadband Fund to help bring high-speed fibre internet to 18 rural communities in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario.
The funding is being awarded to Minto Communications Society, County of Forty Mile No. 8, MCSnet, Missing Link Internet Inc., and Vianet Inc. to build nearly 330 kilometres of new transport fibre infrastructure to improve access to reliable and high-quality internet services, the CRTC said in a press release.
According to a CRTC backgrounder, Minto Communications Society will receive approximately $6.7 million in Broadband Fund money to build a 51-kilometre fibre transport network that will benefit 415 homes in Ogden, B.C.
County of Forty Mile No. 8 has been awarded nearly $3.3 million in funding to construct a 105-kilometre fibre network that will serve 373 households in four Alberta communities, including Legend, Skiff, Whitla and Winnifred.
Operating as MCSnet, Lemalu Holdings Ltd. is receiving $859,000 from the CRTC’s Broadband Fund to build a 33-kilometre fibre network serving 246 homes in Rich Lake, Alberta.
Missing Link Internet is to receive $5.5 million in funding to build approximately 124 kilometres of fibre infrastructure that will benefit 394 homes in 11 communities in Alberta, including Alhambra, Chain Lakes, Johnsons Beach, Lakeview Acres, Lochinvar, Meldal Beach, Morningside, Norman Place Estates, Sandy Beach, Sherman Park, and Sunset Heights.
In Ontario, Vianet will receive nearly $1.4 million in funding to build approximately 17 kilometres of fibre infrastructure that will serve 864 homes in the Township of Carling.
The CRTC said it continues to assess applications to the Broadband Fund and will make more funding announcements in the coming months.
