Government of Canada invests over $481,000 to bring high-speed Internet to 1,230 homes in rural Newfoundland and Labrador through the Universal Broadband Fund

Residents of the Northern Peninsula region to benefit from increased connectivity

OTTAWA, ON, April 16, 2021 /CNW/ - 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's (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 $481,000 in federal funding to bring high-speed Internet to rural residents of Newfoundland and Labrador, with an additional investment of nearly $183,000 from Aldera Communications. This project will help connect 1,230 underserved households in the communities of Glenburnie, Birchy Head, Shoal Brook, Woody Point, St. Paul's, Cow Head, Three Mile Rock, Parsons Pond, Portland Creek, Daniel's Harbour and Bellburns.

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 

"Today's investment of over $481,000 through the Universal Broadband Fund will connect 1,230 homes in 11 communities right here in Newfoundland and Labrador to the high-speed Internet they need. This is a perfect example of what the Rapid Response Stream of the Universal Broadband Fund is all about?helping ready-to-go projects receive faster approval so construction can start and so more communities can be connected. I am looking forward to future collaborations with municipalities, Indigenous communities, organizations and local service providers to ensure that our communities across the province have access to reliable and affordable high-speed Internet. Thank you to Aldera Communications for your partnership on this project, and congratulations to everyone involved."
? Gudie Hutchings, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development, and Member of Parliament for Long Range Mountains

"Aldera Communications is excited to work with the Government of Canada to bring fast, reliable Internet services to rural communities. Broadband Internet is no longer a luxury but a necessity. With support from the Department and local municipalities, Aldera is proud to provide local solutions to help solve the unique challenges of providing rural broadband in Newfoundland and Labrador."
? Devin Pittman, President, Aldera Communications Inc.

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