Feds, Ontario Drop $4 Million to Expand Rural High-Speed Internet

The federal government and Ontario announced on Tuesday federal and provincial funding of over $4 million for Mornington Communications to provide high-speed Internet access to over 400 residences across underserved communities in Ontario.

Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development, Tim Louis, Member of Parliament for Kitchener–Conestoga, and Amarjot Sandhu, Parliamentary Assistant to Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure, made the announcement to the media today.

Communities set to benefit include Crosshill, Dorking, Hawkesville, Heidelberg, Linwood, Millbank, St. Clements and Wellesley.

The news is part of the ongoing Canada-Ontario broadband partnership aimed at supporting large-scale, fibre-based projects. Launched on July 29, 2021, the partnership aims to provide high-speed Internet access to more than 280,000 homes across Ontario, with combined federal-provincial investment of over $1.2 billion.

“We all know that Internet is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. That’s why our government made a historic commitment to connect 98% of Canadians to high-speed Internet by 2026. Today’s announcement in Wellesley marks a significant milestone for Internet connectivity in rural Ontario. This investment will provide reliable high-speed Internet access through Mornington Communications to more than 400 underserved homes in 8 rural and remote communities in Ontario,” said Hutchings.

Canada wants to ensure 98% of its residents have access to high-speed Internet by 2026, and 100% by 2030. Ontario aims to provide reliable high-speed Internet access to every community by the end of 2025.

Back in March, the feds and Ontario announced $48 million to expand high-speed internet in rural parts of the province as well.

Currently, 93.5% of Canadian households have access to high-speed Internet, compared to 79% in 2014. The Ontario government is investing nearly $4 billion into efforts to bring reliable high-speed Internet access to every corner of the province by the end of 2025. As of June 2023, Ontario has secured agreements worth over $2.3 billion for nearly 200 high-speed Internet and cellular projects.