The federal government has announced $686,000 in funding to bring high-speed internet to residents on Grand Manan Island in New Brunswick.
With an additional investment of nearly $85,000 from Proximity Fiber, the project will connect 346 underserved households to high‑speed internet.
“Today’s investment will bring reliable, high-speed internet access to 346 households on Grand Manan Island,” said Gudie Hutchings, the parliamentary secretary for Rural Economic Development Minister Maryam Monsef in a statement.
“This will help create jobs, improve access to health care and online learning services, and keep people connected to their loved ones.”
This project is possible through the government’s Universal Broadband Fund’s Rapid Response Stream. The $1.75 billion fund was launched on November 9th and has made up to $150 million immediately available for ready-to-go projects through the rapid stream.
The stream was created to ensure that projects that are ready to move forward can receive quick approval to allow for construction to begin as soon as possible.
“Projects funded under the UBF, as well as through other public and private investments, will help connect 98 percent of Canadians to high-speed internet by 2026 and achieve the national target of 100 percent connectivity by 2030,” the government notes.
Image credit: @MaryamMonsefMP
