Provincial and Federal governments to add more money towards High Speed connectivity in BC

Minister of Citizen's Services Lisa Beare announced the provincial
commitment to a new funding program for High Speed Internet Access 

The push to connect all regions of British Columbia with access to High Speed Internet has been given another boost today, with an an announcement of a joint investment of 830 million dollars between the Federal and Provincial Governments.

The funding programs was revealed as part of a media event featuring Federal, Provincial and Indigenous officials. 

Included as part of the event were Lisa Beare, the Minister of Citizens' Services and Guide Hutchings the Federal Minister of Rural Development, who outlined the scope of the investment and a timeline to deliver on in by 2027.

The new program to be called Connecting Communities BC, which will offer communities to become more involved in the connectivity project to fit their community needs.

“This joint record investment of $830 million between the federal and provincial governments means many First Nations communities will have high-speed internet access for the first time – advancing true, lasting and meaningful reconciliation and self-determination. Approximately 115,000 households in rural, remote and Indigenous communities that are still underserved will now have the same digital economic opportunities as larger urban communities.

The commitment to better connectivity will make use of a range of communication options.

“Investing in connectivity through infrastructure methods, such as low-orbit satellites, and fixed and fibre internet to the home means investing in the people of this province. By giving everyone access to high-speed internet, we will level the playing field for more British Columbians, providing better access to jobs, education, training, health care, and so much more.”

The additional funding could bring some good news for Prince Rupert based CityWest in the months and years ahead. 

The Northwest BC communication company is a key partner in the Connected Coast initiative which is putting the communication infrastructure in place to deliver high speed internet access to a number of communities in the Northwest, Central Coast, Vancouver Island and Hadida Gwaii.

More notes on today's announcement can be reviewed here.

The presentation of earlier this morning can be reviewed below:

More notes from the BC Legislature can be examined here.

A wider overview of communication themes in the Northwest is available through our archive page.