Government of Canada invests over $379,000 to bring high-speed Internet to 1,184 homes in rural Newfoundland and Labrador through the Universal Broadband Fund

Residents of Goose Cove, Great Brehat, St. Anthony, St. Anthony Bight and St. Carols to benefit from increased connectivity

OTTAWA, ON, April 9, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how much we rely on our connections. Now more than ever, Canadians across the country need access to reliable high-speed Internet as many of us are working, learning, and staying in touch with friends and family from home. Right now, too many Canadians living in rural and remote communities lack access to high-speed Internet. Through the Universal Broadband Fund (UBF) Rapid Response Stream, the Government of Canada is taking immediate action to get Canadians connected to the high-speed Internet they need.

Today, Gudie Hutchings, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development and Member of Parliament for Long Range Mountains, on behalf of the Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development, announced over $379,000 in federal funding to bring high-speed Internet to rural residents of Newfoundland and Labrador, with an additional investment of over $1 million from Bell Canada. This project will help connect 1,184 underserved households to high-speed Internet in the communities of Goose Cove, Great Brehat, St. Anthony, St. Anthony Bight and St. Carols.

The project being announced today was approved within five months of the November 2020 formal launch of the $1.75-billion UBF. Projects funded under the UBF, as well as through other public and private investments, will help connect 98% of Canadians to high-speed Internet by 2026 and achieve the national target of 100% connectivity by 2030.

Today's announcement builds on the progress the Government of Canada has already made to improve critical infrastructure in Newfoundland and Labrador. Since 2015, the federal government has invested over $428 million in over 662 infrastructure projects in Newfoundland and Labrador communities. These investments mean 612 km of new or upgraded roads that are making our communities safer; more than 97 projects to provide residents with cleaner, more sustainable sources of drinking water; and more than 28 additional housing units built in rural communities, helping ensure all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have a safe place to call home.

Quotes 

"This important high-speed Internet investment of over $379,000 is incredibly welcomed and will positively impact rural residents of Newfoundland and Labrador. In order to drive economic and social prosperity, it is important to encourage local Internet service providers to submit proposals and access historic federal UBF funding to get shovel-ready projects to fruition. I am looking forward to future collaborations with municipalities, Indigenous communities, organizations and local service providers to ensure Newfoundland and Labrador communities have access to affordable and accessible broadband. Congratulations to the municipalities involved on their successful collaboration with Bell Canada on this initiative."
– Gudie Hutchings, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development and Member of Parliament for Long Range Mountains

"Broadband connections will be key to the recovery from COVID-19 and to Newfoundland and Labrador's ongoing economic growth and prosperity. Bell is the largest investor in rural networks in the province, and we have committed to further accelerating our capital investment plan over the next two years to bring broadband connections to even more communities. We're proud to invest $1.26 million in this latest partnership with the Government of Canada, and we look forward to serving the residents of Goose Cove, Great Brehat, St. Anthony, St. Anthony Bight and St. Carols with Fibe Internet later this year."
– Glen LeBlanc, Chief Financial Officer & Vice Chair Atlantic Canada, Bell Canada

Quick facts

• Canada's Connectivity Strategy aims to provide all Canadians with access to Internet speeds of at least 50 megabits per second (Mbps) download / 10 Mbps upload.
• The Universal Broadband Fund (UBF) is a $1.75-billion investment designed to help connect all Canadians to high-speed Internet. Applications to the UBF were accepted until March 15, 2021, and are now being evaluated.
• The UBF is part of a suite of federal investments to improve high-speed Internet. The suite includes the Connect to Innovate program, which is expected to connect nearly 400,000 households by 2023, and the recently announced $2-billion broadband initiative from the Canada Infrastructure Bank.

Associated links

• Backgrounder: Universal Broadband Fund and Telesat low Earth orbit satellite capacity agreement
• Universal Broadband Fund
• Connect to Innovate Program – Project status updates
• Canada Infrastructure Bank announcement
• High-Speed Access for All: Canada's Connectivity Strategy

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SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada