By Canadian Press

Trudeau pledges $1.75B to boost high-speed internet in remote communities

Nov 9, 2020 | 7:50 AM

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the government is launching a $1.75-billion fund to expand high-speed internet to Canadians in rural and remote communities.

Trudeau says the Universal Broadband Fund will see 98 per cent of Canadians connected to high-speed internet by 2026 — crucial in an era when virtual communication is an essential part of daily life.

The program, announced originally in the 2019 budget as a $1-billion fund, includes $750 million of additional cash to advance projects with partners such as the federal infrastructure financing agency.

Trudeau also announced a $600-million deal with Ottawa-based satellite company Telesat to link up especially remote communities and regions in the Far North with high-speed broadband via satellite.

The Liberals created the Canada Infrastructure Bank in 2017 to entice funding from private-sector partners to fund what the government has called “transformational” infrastructure projects that would create 60,000 jobs.

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However, the bank has been criticized for its relatively small number of investments in fewer than a dozen projects so far and both the Conservatives and NDP promised in the 2019 election to abolish the bank if they were voted into power.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2020.

The Canadian Press