Project deadline is 2023
TORONTO — The Ontario government announced today it is investing $10.9 million to bring faster broadband to several towns and First Nation communities in Northern Ontario.
The investment announced today is expected to bring faster Internet to more than 7,000 households and businesses across Northern Ontario and will be used to help:
- build infrastructure that brings high-speed broadband to more areas in Chisholm, Marathon, Terrace Bay, rural Thunder Bay and Oliver Paipoonge;
- construct a new 22-kilometre fibre backbone network that brings high-speed broadband to Seine River First Nation, Couchiching First Nation, Rainy River First Nations, Ojibways of Onigaming First Nation, Animakee Wa Zhing #37 First Nation and Big Grassy First Nation; and
- upgrade the speed and capacity of the K-Net network, owned by Keewaytinook Okimakanak and which serves more than 80 First Nation communities, while supporting future upgrades.
Not included in the announcement was when these projects might start. UPDATE: We asked the provincial government for clarification and a ministry spokesperson told us in an email “the next step in the process involves us working with the project leads on funding arrangements. Projects are expected to proceed shortly afterwards in order to improve broadband service as quickly as possible. We expect work to begin on all of these projects in the spring. All of these projects should reach completion by the end of 2023, with some reaching completion earlier.”
This investment is part of Up to Speed: Ontario’s Broadband Cellular Action Plan, which the province announced in July 2019. In November 2020, the Ontario government announced an investment of $680 million on top of its existing commitment to improve connectivity in the province, leading to an investment of almost $1 billion over six years.
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