Ted Falk, MP for Provencher, is pleased to provide an update on Connecting Canadians, a new Government of Canada program that will bring high-speed Internet to 280,000 Canadian households that currently do not have Internet or have slower access. Between now and 2017, the Government will invest up to $305 million to extend access to broadband Internet at 5 megabits per second (Mbps) to 98 percent of Canadian households, mainly in rural and remote communities across Canada.
“The Connecting Canadians program is great news for rural communities in Manitoba,” said MP Falk. “It will bring the benefits of high-speed Internet to even more people, ensuring they can take advantage of the opportunities of the digital age. Through Connecting Canadians, our government is working to help Canadian businesses and individuals get access to the internet speeds necessary for them to interact and work online while remaining in their communities.”
In the weeks ahead, Canadians and Internet service providers (ISP) are invited to visit the new Connecting Canadians website to offer their input on communities that could be eligible to receive funding.
The maps on the Connecting Canadians website were developed to obtain feedback from Canadians, ISPs, and provincial and territorial governments across the country to identify those communities that are most in need of investment for greater access to high-speed Internet.
Information about communities considered in need and eligible for funding will be made public this fall, followed by a call for applications from ISPs.
Companies interested in participating in Connecting Canadians will be invited to submit applications for projects later this fall. The first projects are expected to be announced in spring 2015.
“In addition, we understand that there are many areas within Provencher that still do not have cell phone service and we are hoping to address those concerns through this program as well,” said Falk. “This will take cooperation between federal, provincial and municipal governments as well as a sizeable investment from the telecom sector.”
MP Falk invites all residents of Provencher to visit www.ic.gc.ca/ConnectingCanadians to offer their input on the internet coverage maps.
