OTTAWA – The federal government today announced the Universal Broadband Fund’s Rapid Response Stream will grant $269,000 in funding to Blue Sky Net to bring high-speed Internet to the Wahnapitae First Nation community on the northwest shore of Wanapitei Lake, northeast of Sudbury.
This project will connect 74 underserved households to high-speed Internet, including 68 Indigenous households.
The $1.75-billion Universal Broadband Fund was launched on November 9, 2020 and the fast stream of up to $150 million is immediately available for ready-to-go projects which are to be completed by November 15, 2021.
“Thanks to this streamlined process, projects that are ready to move forward in the short term can be approved quickly, with construction starting as soon as possible, and more Canadians can be connected faster. The project being announced today was approved within two months of the formal launch of the program,” reads the press release.
To facilitate applications for projects like this one, the UBF provides a pathfinder service for applicants, particularly those who need more support to build partnerships, find potential sources of funding and navigate the application process. The pathfinder service ensures that the UBF can meet the needs of all applicants, including smaller applicants such as rural municipalities and Indigenous communities, reminds the release.
Applications to the Universal Broadband Fund are being accepted until 3:00 p.m. (ET) on February 15, 2021.
