Rural Communities to Benefit From Increased Connectivity to High-Speed Internet

Press Release - Ministry of Infrastructure

All Canadians need reliable and affordable high-speed internet, no matter where they live. That is why the governments of Canada and Ontario are taking action to bring high-speed internet access to underserved communities across Ontario, including the Municipality of Mississippi Mills.

On June 15, the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development, together with the Honourable Kinga Surma, Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure, and Goldie Ghamari, Member of Provincial Parliament for Carleton, announced over $71 million in combined federal and provincial funding for Bell Canada and Cogeco to bring high-speed internet access to more than 22,000 homes in 74 rural communities across eastern Ontario.

"We all know that internet is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. That’s why our government made a historic commitment to connect 98 per cent of Canadians to high-speed internet by 2026,” stated The Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development. “Today’s announcement in Osgoode marks a significant milestone for internet connectivity in rural Ontario. This investment will provide reliable and affordable high-speed internet access through Bell and Cogeco to more than 22,000 underserved homes in 74 small communities across Carleton and eastern Ontario."

"The Ontario government is ensuring that every community across the province has access to reliable high-speed internet by the end of 2025,” said The Honourable Kinga Surma, Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure. “By working together with our federal partners, we are increasing access to high-speed internet for communities province-wide, including right here in Osgoode. We are ensuring that no one will be left behind."

The projects being announced today are part of an existing partnership between Ontario and Canada. On July 29, 2021, the governments announced a Canada–Ontario broadband partnership to support large-scale, fibre-based projects that will provide high-speed internet access to more than 280,000 homes across the province. This historic agreement was made possible by a joint federal-provincial investment totalling more than $1.2 billion.

"We are proud to partner with the Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario to expand our all-fibre broadband network to even more communities across eastern Ontario,” stated Bruce Furlong, SVP Network, Bell Canada. “Our fast and reliable internet connections help people in rural and remote communities stay connected while at home and at work. Through our own fully funded investments and through partnerships like this, Bell continues to deliver on our purpose of advancing how Canadians connect with each other and the world."

"We are extremely proud to make our first expansion into the townships of Frontenac Islands and South Frontenac. Thanks to this partnership with the governments of Canada and Ontario, more residents and businesses in these municipalities, as well as the City of Kingston, will have access to our fibre-powered network. It’s investments like this that contribute to our shared goal of reducing the digital divide, ensuring all Ontarians have access to high-speed internet,” added Matt Wickham, Vice President and General Manager, Customer Experience and B2B, Cogeco.

The June 15th announcement builds on the Government of Canada’s progress toward ensuring that 98 per cent of Canadians have access to high-speed internet by 2026, and 100 per cent by 2030. The announcement also brings the Government of Ontario closer to achieving its goal of bringing reliable high-speed internet access to every community by the end of 2025.

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 is a $3.225 billion investment by the Government of Canada designed to help provide high-speed internet access to 98 per cent of Canadians by 2026 and achieve the national target of 100 per cent access by 2030.

• Today, 93.5 per cent of Canadian households have access to high-speed internet, compared to just 79 per cent in 2014.

• The Ontario government is investing nearly $4 billion to bring access to reliable high-speed internet to every community across the province by the end of 2025. This is the largest single investment in high-speed internet in any province, by any government in Canadian history.

• As of June 2023, Ontario has finalized agreements totalling more than $2.3 billion for nearly 200 high-speed internet and cellular projects across the province.

• Ontario launched a new interactive online map that shows where provincially funded high-speed internet projects are planned, are currently under way or have been recently completed in communities across the province. Ontarians can use the map to search by address, community or municipality, learn about projects happening in their area, and find out where high-speed internet service is currently available.

• In 2021, Ontario passed the Supporting Broadband and Infrastructure Expansion Act, 2021 to help speed up construction of high-speed internet projects. To build upon this legislation, the Ontario government passed the Getting Ontario Connected Act, 2022, which further reduces barriers, duplication and delays.