Ottawa and B.C. have awarded Columbia Basin Trust $58 million to bring high-speed internet to the Columbia Basin area of B.C.
The regional Crown corporation’s work will impact 5,400 households in 59 rural and remote communities, including Blaeberry, Ta Ta Creek, and Cassimayooks No.5 (ʔaq̓am).
“The internet is an essential service for all of society, but unfortunately we still have areas of the Columbia Basin that do not have access to the same level of high-speed connectivity and reliability as more populated communities,” Johnny Strilaeff, Columbia Basin Trust’s CEO, said.
“The Trust is pleased to partner in addressing this gap and in helping bring fibre optic infrastructure to over 5,400 rural households across the Basin.”
Funding for the project stems from a March 2022 agreement between the two governments that saw an $830 million investment to connect households in the province with access to high-speed internet.
The investment has also funded internet projects from CityWest, ispeed Communications, Swift Internet, and Telus.
The projects are part of the federal government’s work to bring high-speed internet access to 98 percent of Canadians by 2026 and 100 percent by 2030.
Image credit: Shutterstock
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