Over $11.4 Million Invested to Bring High-Speed Internet to Indigenous Households in Ontario

The Canadian and Ontario governments announced a joint investment of over $11.4 million to provide high-speed Internet access to more than 2,600 Indigenous households in Six Nations of the Grand River. The funding, provided by the federal government's Universal Broadband Fund and the Ontario government, will support First Nations Cable in expanding its services.

 

This initiative is part of a larger Canada-Ontario broadband partnership announced in 2021, aiming to bring high-speed Internet to nearly 280,000 households across Ontario with a total investment of more than $1.2 billion. The goal is to ensure that 98% of Canadians have access to high-speed Internet by 2026 and 100% by 2030, with Ontario aiming for province-wide coverage by the end of 2025.

 

Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Gudie Hutchings emphasized that the Internet is a necessity and that the federal government is committed to working with partners to achieve connectivity targets. 

 

Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure Kinga Surma highlighted the importance of ensuring every community in Ontario has access to high-speed Internet by 2025. 

 

Chief Sherri-Lyn Hill of Six Nations of the Grand River Elected Council expressed appreciation for the financial contributions and the opportunity for the entire community to access reliable, high-speed Internet. 

 

Jeffery Thomas, President of First Nations Cable, stated the company's dedication to providing high-quality service and delivering reliable broadband services to all Six Nations territories.

 

The investment is part of Canada's Connectivity Strategy, which aims to provide all Canadians with Internet speeds of at least 50 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload. The Ontario government's investment of nearly $4 billion is the largest single investment in high-speed Internet by any government in Canadian history. As of March 2024, Ontario has finalized agreements for over 200 high-speed Internet and cellular projects, enabling access to over 530,000 homes and businesses across the province.

 

To further support the expansion of high-speed Internet, Ontario passed the Supporting Broadband and Infrastructure Expansion Act in 2021 and the Getting Ontario Connected Act in 2022, which aim to reduce barriers, duplication, and delays in the construction of high-speed Internet projects.