{"id":264001,"date":"2020-08-04T05:11:51","date_gmt":"2020-08-04T09:11:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=264001"},"modified":"2020-08-04T05:11:51","modified_gmt":"2020-08-04T09:11:51","slug":"rural-communities-in-quebec-will-benefit-from-faster-internet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2020\/08\/04\/rural-communities-in-quebec-will-benefit-from-faster-internet\/","title":{"rendered":"Rural communities in Quebec will benefit from faster Internet"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_249070\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-249070\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><a href=\"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/person-with-grey-ring-using-macbook-pro-159760.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-249070\" src=\"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/person-with-grey-ring-using-macbook-pro-159760.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1280\" height=\"853\" srcset=\"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/person-with-grey-ring-using-macbook-pro-159760.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/person-with-grey-ring-using-macbook-pro-159760-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/person-with-grey-ring-using-macbook-pro-159760-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/person-with-grey-ring-using-macbook-pro-159760-1024x682.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-249070\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Canadians know that high-speed Internet access is no longer a luxury; it is essential for everyone, including those living in rural and remote communities. (Pexels photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-md-auto\">\n<p>Canadians know that high-speed Internet access is no longer a luxury; it is essential for everyone, including those living in rural and remote communities.<\/p>\n<p>The current crisis has highlighted how much we all rely on high-speed Internet, and this need is sure to be even greater in the future. Now more than ever, Canadians need reliable, affordable high-speed Internet so they can work and learn from home and communicate with loved ones.<\/p>\n<p>Today, the Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Quebec Lieutenant, on behalf of the Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development, announced $8.5 million in funding for three projects through the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ic.gc.ca\/eic\/site\/119.nsf\/eng\/home\">Connect to Innovate<\/a>\u00a0program.<\/p>\n<p>These projects will result in increased connectivity speeds in rural and remote communities, enabling Canadians to stay connected. Funding is being distributed as follows:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>$1,015,368 for T\u00e9l\u00e9bec to undertake two projects using fibre optic technology to provide high-speed Internet in the community of Belcourt, located northeast of Val-d\u2019Or, and in the area of Launay in the Abitibi Regional County Municipality; and<\/li>\n<li>$7,500,000 for TELUS to undertake a project using fibre optic technology to provide high-speed Internet to 18 communities located northwest of Baie-Comeau.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ic.gc.ca\/eic\/site\/139.nsf\/eng\/h_00001.html\"><em>High-Speed Access for All: Canada\u2019s Connectivity Strategy<\/em><\/a>\u00a0is the Government of Canada\u2019s plan to make sure all Canadians, no matter where they live, have access to affordable high-speed Internet. It also commits to improving mobile wireless coverage where Canadians live and work, as well as along major highways and roads.<\/p>\n<p>Thanks to the Connect to Innovate program, residents will be able to connect with family and friends, do business online, participate in distance education and take advantage of the opportunities afforded by the digital economy. These projects will help expand the interaction Canadians have within and outside their communities and provide opportunities for success.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h2>Quotes<\/h2>\n<blockquote data-emptytext=\"Blockquote\"><p>\u201cThe Government of Canada is committed to ensuring\u00a0that every single household and business has access to high-speed Internet. By investing in eight new projects through the Connect to Innovate program, we are continuing to bridge the digital divide so Canadians in Quebec\u2019s rural regions can equally benefit from all the advantages the digital world has to offer.\u201d<br \/>\n\u2013 The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Quebec Lieutenant<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote data-emptytext=\"Blockquote\"><p>\u201cCanadians understand the importance of building communities. Through the current COVID-19 crisis, we have come to recognize, now more than ever, how important it is to be able to access the digital world. Through the Connect to Innovate program, we are continuing to open doors so Canadians can benefit from being connected with their loved ones and better equipped to fulfill everyday tasks. With this funding, we are continuing to improve rural Canadians\u2019 access to high-speed Internet for them to thrive in the digital economy.\u201d<br \/>\n\u2013 The Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>Quick facts<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>The Government of Canada has made billions in funding available, through several programs, to support the building of Internet infrastructure in rural and remote communities.<\/li>\n<li>In Budget 2019, the Government announced $1.7 billion to support high-speed Internet, including $1 billion for the new Universal Broadband Fund, $600 million in support for low-Earth orbit satellites that can help connect Canada\u2019s most remote communities and $85 million to top up the ongoing Connect to Innovate program.<\/li>\n<li>Through Connect to Innovate, over 50 rural and remote communities across Canada are already benefiting from completed projects that have the potential to bring improved Internet speeds to over 25,000 households.<\/li>\n<li>Currently, there are broadband projects in progress\u2014that is, in the construction phase\u2014to improve connectivity for 150 communities, which have the potential to reach 50,000 households by the end of 2020. Over 750 communities and potentially 250,000 households are on track to benefit from access to improved Internet speeds as a result of Connect to Innovate projects to be completed by the end of 2021.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Canadians know that high-speed Internet access is no longer a luxury; it is essential for everyone, including those living in &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":249070,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-264001","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news-ca","category-news","mauthors-innovation-science-and-economic-development-canada","mauthors-government-of-canada"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/264001","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=264001"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/264001\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":264007,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/264001\/revisions\/264007"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/249070"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=264001"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=264001"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=264001"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}