Rural communities to benefit from increased connectivity to high-speed internet
Eastern Ontario – All Canadians need reliable and affordable high-speed internet, no matter where they live. That is why the governments of Canada and Ontario are taking action to bring high-speed internet access to underserved communities across Ontario.
Today, the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development, together with the Honourable Kinga Surma, Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure, and Goldie Ghamari, Member of Provincial Parliament for Carleton, announced over $71 million in combined federal and provincial funding for Bell Canada and Cogeco to bring high-speed internet access to more than 22,000 homes in 74 rural communities across eastern Ontario.
Locally the areas include:
“We all know that the internet is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. That’s why our government made a historic commitment to connecting 98 percent of Canadians to high-speed internet by 2026. Today’s announcement in Osgoode marks a significant milestone for internet connectivity in rural Ontario. This investment will provide reliable and affordable high-speed internet access through Bell and Cogeco to more than 22,000 underserved homes in 74 small communities across Carleton and eastern Ontario.” – The Honourable Gudie Hutchings Minister of Rural Economic Development
The projects being announced today are part of an existing partnership between Ontario and Canada. On July 29, 2021, the governments announced a Canada–Ontario broadband partnership to support large-scale, fibre-based projects that will provide high-speed internet access to more than 280,000 homes across the province. This historic agreement was made possible by a joint federal-provincial investment totalling more than $1.2 billion.
Today’s announcement builds on the Government of Canada’s progress toward ensuring that 98 percent of Canadians have access to high-speed internet by 2026, and 100 percent by 2030. The announcement also brings the Government of Ontario closer to achieving its goal of bringing reliable high-speed internet access to every community by the end of 2025.
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 is a $3.225 billion investment by the Government of Canada designed to help provide high-speed internet access to 98 percent of Canadians by 2026 and achieve the national target of 100 percent access by 2030.
- Today, 93.5 percent of Canadian households have access to high-speed internet, compared to just 79 percent in 2014.
- The Ontario government is investing nearly $4 billion to bring access to reliable high-speed internet to every community across the province by the end of 2025. This is the largest single investment in high-speed internet in any province, by any government in Canadian history.
- As of June 2023, Ontario has finalized agreements totalling more than $2.3 billion for nearly 200 high-speed internet and cellular projects across the province.
- Ontario launched a new interactive online map that shows where provincially funded high-speed internet projects are planned, are currently underway or have been recently completed in communities across the province. Ontarians can use the map to search by address, community or municipality, learn about projects happening in their area, and find out where high-speed internet service is currently available.
- In 2021, Ontario passed the Supporting Broadband and Infrastructure Expansion Act, 2021 to help speed up the construction of high-speed internet projects. To build upon this legislation, the Ontario government passed the Getting Ontario Connected Act, 2022, which further reduces barriers, duplication and delays.
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