Over the past months, many Canadians have worked from home, taken classes, shopped online, and accessed government services remotely. The global COVID-19 pandemic has made it more important than ever for all Canadians to access fast and reliable Internet, no matter where they live.
Today, the Minister of Northern Affairs, the Honourable Daniel Vandal, together with the Prime Minister's special representative for the Prairies, the Honourable Jim Carr, highlighted an investment of $1.75 billion to help connect Canadians to high-speed Internet across the country. Originally announced in Budget 2019 as a $1 billion program, the Government is now providing additional funding to advance large, high-impact projects, which will leverage partnerships including with the Canada Infrastructure Bank broadband initiative. The program will include a $150 million Rapid Response Stream with an accelerated application process that will allow shovel-ready projects to get started right away. The UBF will also allocate $50 million of its total budget for mobile Internet projects that primarily benefit Indigenous peoples. This investment will help connect 98 per cent of Canadians across the country to high-speed Internet by 2026 so that they can better participate in the digital economy.
The Minister also highlighted an agreement of $600 million with Canadian satellite company Telesat to secure low-earth-orbit satellite capacity, which will improve connectivity and expand high-speed Internet coverage to rural and remote regions across Canada.
Today's investments will help make progress on the Government of Canada's commitment to create over one million jobs, and its work to support Canadians living in rural, remote, and northern communities. As we take steps toward our economic recovery from the pandemic, the Government of Canada will continue to make investments in infrastructure to build strong communities and a more competitive and resilient Canada for everyone.
The Government has already made significant progress toward the goal of connecting Canadians to high-speed internet. In the Prairies and Territories, the Government of Canada has invested a total of $470,635,265 in 46 projects, which will connect 215,209 households.
Quotes
"High-speed Internet access is critical to those living in rural and remote areas. The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the importance of being connected, informed and in touch with family, friends and health services and more. The Universal Broadband Fund will help bridge the digital divide and allow all Canadians to take advantage of online services including telework, virtual health care, e-learning opportunities, and everything in between. Today's announcement takes a giant step toward improving connectivity in the Prairies and Territories."
-The Honourable Daniel Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs
"We know that access to high-speed Internet is a top priority for rural and remote Canadians and we are leveraging the latest technologies in order to ensure that all Canadians have access. High-speed Internet is more than just a convenience - it means opportunity. It enables physicians to see patients from a distance. It allows businesses to reach customers around the world and it allows students in one classroom to connect with their peers in other parts of the country. The agreement with Telesat will help unlock economic and social opportunities in Canada's most rural and remote communities."
- The Honourable Jim Carr, the Prime Minister's special representative for the Prairies
Quick facts
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The Universal Broadband Fund was announced in Budget 2019. It is part of a series of federal investments made to improve access to high-speed Internet, which are expected to connect nearly 400,000 additional households by the end of 2023.
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The Government of Canada has already made significant progress toward its goal of connecting all Canadians to high-speed Internet by 2030, by supporting projects and programs that will connect 1.2 million Canadian households over the next few years.
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The Government of Canada will work with partners to provide all Canadians with at least 50 megabits per second download speeds and 10 megabits per second upload speeds, no matter where they are in the country. These speeds will allow Canadians to telework, participate in e-learning and access telehealth.
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The Government of Canada recently announced a $2 billion broadband initiative as part of the Canada Infrastructure Bank's Growth Plan. This initiative will help connect approximately 750,000 homes and small businesses to broadband in underserved communities, so Canadians can better participate in the digital economy.
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Telesat Canada was established as a Crown Corporation in 1969, and is now a Canadian-controlled privately held corporation. It has employees in five provinces and one territory, and several countries around the world, and is the world's fourth largest satellite operator.
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Satellites in low-earth-orbit operate 36 times closer to the earth than traditional communications satellites. This means they take less time to send and receive information, leading to better and faster broadband service, including in rural, remote, and northern areas.
