Feds and Ontario to Spend $48 Million to Expand Rural High-Speed Internet

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and the Ontario government announced on Thursday they will invest over $48 million to expand high-speed internet to rural parts of the province.

The project will see YorkNet, created and owned by the Regional Municipality of York, bring high-speed internet to over 3,800 homes in 31 communities in Ontario (about $12,361 per home).

Back in July 2021, the federal government and Ontario agreed on a joint investment of over $1.2 billion to bring high-speed internet to over 280,000 rural homes across the province. Today’s announcement is from that existing partnership.

“We all know that Internet is no longer a luxury in this day and age—it’s a necessity. Access to fast, reliable Internet helps rural Canadians by levelling the playing field to access essential services like health care and education, participate in the digital economy, or simply connect with loved ones. Our government will continue to work side by side with our partners to achieve our connectivity targets and ensure every Canadian, no matter where they live, has access to high-speed Internet by 2030,” said Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development, in a boilerplate statement.

The federal government plans to have 98% of Canadians with high-speed internet access by 2026, while Ontario plans to have all communities connected to high-speed by the end of 2025.