MARKHAM, ON – Rural Internet service provider Xplore announced Tuesday the successful completion of its major fibre internet project in Quebec, partly funded through the Canada-Quebec Opération Haute Vitesse (Operation High Speed) rural broadband funding program.
Xplore says in a press release it invested more than $132 million to deploy 2,700 kilometres of fibre-optic infrastructure to bring high-speed internet access to more than 33,000 rural homes and businesses across the underserved regional county municipalities (MRCs) of Pontiac, Les Sources, La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau, La Tuque, Papineau and parts of Haut St-François.
To deliver these fibre-to-the-premises internet connections, with speeds up to one gigabit, Xplore “engaged the expertise of more than 400 local workers over the course of deployment, contributing to job creation and economic growth in the regions where the fibre was rolled out,” the release reads.
“At Xplore, our customers are at the heart of everything we do and this fibre network rollout represents our commitment to delivering the best broadband experiences,” Rizwan Jamal, president and CEO of Xplore, said in the release. “We understand the importance of reliable, high-speed Internet in today’s world, and we’re here to ensure that our customers can make the most of rural living.”
“This transformative project accelerates digital access and contributes significantly to the economic development of the regions we serve,” said Charles Beaudet, vice-president of government relations at Xplore. “We extend our appreciation to the Quebec government and our hard-working crews, Hydro-Québec, ministère des Transports du Québec, the Commission de la Construction du Québec union, as well as local municipalities, for their valuable collaboration and support.”
In addition to providing high-speed internet access to residents and businesses in the newly connected areas, “Xplore is committed to ongoing maintenance and support for the network to ensure that rural communities continue to benefit from reliable connectivity,” the release says.
Photo of Xplore truck, courtesy of Xplore.
