YORK REGION, ONT. – A corporation owned by the regional municipality of York is getting $48 million in federal and provincial funding to provide high-speed internet access to 3,800 homes in 31 communities, according to a Thursday announcement.
The YorkNet corporation, established in 2017, is using existing unlit fibre to drive connectivity in the region.
“Through our own dark-fibre network, operated and managed by YorkNet, we are building an affordable, reliable and sustainable network across York Region that also supports our regional operations,” Wayne Emmerson, York Region chairman and CEO, said in a press release.
“These generous contributions will help the region expand its network and target thousands of underserved homes by 2025,” he added.
The money comes from the $3.225-billion Universal Broadband Fund, which partnered with the province in 2021 to drive access to 280,000 rural and remote communities and help close the digital divide in the province by 2025. The total investment in the province from the governments is more than $1.2 billion.
As of last month, the province has finalized agreements worth more than $2.2 billion for nearly 200 internet and cell projects in Ontario, the release said.
