CRTC awards $57 million for transport projects in Que., Ont., and B.C.

The CRTC is handing out $57.7 million through its Broadband Fund for the construction of thousands of kilometres of network transport infrastructure. The commission announced Friday that seven projects will be getting funding for almost 1,400 kilometres of fibre transport network in northern Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia, targeting 15 rural and remote communities, accounting for some 6,500 households. Most of the money goes to Kativik Regional Government in Quebec -- approximately $53.4 million combined. The regional government will use the money to construct 1,310 kilometres of fibre transport network in five Indigenous and official-language minority communities, serving just over 2,000 homes and up to 44 institutions. Second-highest is the Columbia Basin Broadband Corporation in British Columbia, which is getting approximately $1.7 million to construct 30 kilometres worth of networks in two communities with about 475 homes. That’s followed by about $1.32 million Cogeco Inc. is getting for work in three Ontario communities on 28 kilometres of network infrastructure in three communities with more than 1,000 homes. Finally, Nexicom Systems Inc. is getting around $1.25 million to construct 25 kilometres of network in another five communities in Ontario with almost 3,000 residences. Altogether, the networks will “provide improved transport connectivity” for each community and connect up to 55 public service institutions such as schools, medical facilities and libraries, the CRTC said in a release. As part of the funding, each company will have to provide wholesale access to other groups that want to offer retail Internet services. Construction is expected to start in the second half of 2021 at the earliest. So far, the CRTC said its Broadband Fund has committed up to $156.5 million to improve broadband service for 107 communities or 24,500 households. In early February, it awarded up to $26.7 million to five transport projects to improve broadband connectivity in British Columbia, Ontario and Saskatchewan as part of the second funding call for the fund. Over five years, the commission is doling out up to $750 million to broadband projects and mobile wireless services across Canada. The money announced Friday by the CRTC comes after the announcement of a new round of funding under the federal government's Universal Broadband Fund. In that case, Telus Corp. will receive more than $5 million in funding through the Rapid Response Stream of the government’s own Universal Broadband Fund for projects bringing high-speed Internet to rural areas in northern, central and southern Alberta. The CRTC expects fixed broadband Internet access service to be available in 90 per cent of Canadian homes and businesses by the end of 2021, and 100 per cent as soon as possible, it said in its release. — Reporting by Hannah Daley at hdaley@thewirereport.ca and editing by Michael Lee-Murphy at mleemurphy@thewirereport.ca

CRTC awards $57 million for transport projects in Que., Ont., and B.C.

News | March 19, 2021

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CRTC awards $57 million for transport projects in Que., Ont., and B.C.

News | March 19, 2021

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