OTTAWA – The federal government is moving ahead with plans to bring high speed Internet to some 280,000 Canadian households that are currently without Internet or with slower access.
Industry Minister James Moore said Tuesday that between now and 2017, the government will invest up to $305 million to extend access to broadband Internet at speeds of 5 Mbps to 98% of Canadian households, mainly in rural and remote communities, and speeds of 3 to 5 Mbps in the remote, satellite-dependent communities of Nunavut and Nunavik in Canada's North.
The program, dubbed Connecting Canadians, will provide incentives for the private sector to invest in wireless and wireline Internet services in specific areas of the country. Information about communities considered in need and eligible for funding will be made public this fall, followed by a call for applications from ISPs.
"As we move toward Canada's 150th birthday in 2017, our government is proud to launch a new program that will connect 280,000 Canadian households to high-speed Internet”, said Minister Moore in a statement. “Connecting Canadians is about ensuring that Canadians, whether they live in urban centres or remote regions of the country, have access to the latest wireless technologies and high-speed networks at the most affordable prices possible."
Internet speeds of 5 Mbps or faster allow for reliable access to services like videoconferencing, cloud computing and social media. Extending this level of service to more rural and remote Canadian communities will enable access to digital government services, university classes and medical consultations, and will open up opportunities for Canadian entrepreneurs looking to start online businesses without leaving their home communities, the statement continued.
