Reliable and affordable high-speed Internet is essential for all Canadians. It enables access to important online resources, connects friends and families, and drives economic growth and innovation. This is why the Government of Canada is helping bring high-speed Internet access to underserved communities-including Indigenous communities-in British Columbia.
Today, the Honourable Buckley Belanger, Secretary of State for Rural Development, together with the Honourable Diana Gibson, British Columbia's Minister of Citizens' Services, announced up to $236 million in joint federal and provincial funding for eight projects to bring high-speed Internet access to over 13,000 households in rural and remote communities across British Columbia.
This funding is part of an existing agreement between the governments of Canada and British Columbia. In March 2022, those governments announced a historic partnership to invest up to $830 million to help provide high-speed Internet access in rural, remote and Indigenous communities throughout the province.
In addition to the jointly funded projects, the Government of Canada is investing over $7.8 million in six projects that will reach up to 1,043 households in communities across British Columbia. This includes up to 80 Indigenous households.
The Government of Canada's investment is provided through the Universal Broadband Fund, a program designed to ensure that Canadians in rural, remote and Indigenous communities have access to reliable high-speed Internet. The total share of federal funding across all projects for this announcement is up to $156.7 million.
The federal government remains on track to meet its goal of providing high-speed Internet access to 98% of Canadian households by the end of 2026, and 100% by 2030. With these investments, the government is helping to create new opportunities for rural and remote communities by ensuring that all Canadians, no matter where they live, have full access to high-speed Internet, enabling them to participate in the digital economy and benefit from everything Canada has to offer.
