Canadian government announced on Nov 9th that it would place investments in ensuring all Canadians would have access to high speed internet
Universal Broadband Fund and Telesat low Earth orbit capacity agreement
Backgrounder
Connectivity Strategy
The Government of Canada published Canada’s Connectivity Strategy in June 2019. The strategy committed to connecting every Canadian—by 2030—to affordable, high-speed Internet no matter where they live and to improving mobile cellular access from coast to coast to coast. The Universal Broadband Fund is a key action under the strategy, along with other complementary measures such as improving access to spectrum, reducing barriers to investment, and providing broadband funding from other federal entities including the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), Infrastructure Canada and the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB).
The federal government engaged extensively with partners, stakeholders and Canadians to ensure that the Universal Broadband Fund responds to the needs of rural communities.
In developing the program, we have met with Internet service providers (ISP), municipal organizations, Indigenous organizations, and provinces and territories, and we accepted feedback from Canadians through our website, to ensure that the Universal Broadband Fund responds to needs identified by all partners and stakeholders. All past applicants to recent broadband programs were surveyed to solicit feedback on program design.
Universal Broadband Fund
Budget 2019 committed $1.7 billion starting in 2019–2020 for a suite of new broadband initiatives. Included in this funding was $1 billion to launch the Universal Broadband Fund. The remaining funding was for a top-up to the Connect to Innovate program and to secure low Earth orbit satellite capacity.
Accelerating an ambitious Universal Broadband Fund
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how much we all rely on digital connections now. It has reinforced the importance of access to high-speed Internet as, now more than ever, Canadians are working, learning and communicating with friends and family from home.
For this reason, the Government of Canada increased the funding available through the Universal Broadband Fund from $1 billion, announced in Budget 2019, to $1.75 billion.
The government is providing up to $750 million in additional funding, which means the government will ensure 98% of Canadians are connected by 2026, an increase from the previous commitment of 95% of Canadians in Canada’s Connectivity Strategy.
Moar at https://www.canada.ca/en/innovation-science-economic-development/news/2020/11/universal-broadband-fund-and-telesat-low-earth-orbit-capacity-agreement.html
Anons, not sure what the strategy is behind this funding. Either the money is going to a bad actor, or this implementation of the high speed internet will involve nefarious activities… Any autists out there that analyse this?