The federal government has announced that Telus will receive $6.7 million from the Universal Broadband Fund to bring high-speed internet to rural communities in British Columbia.
The project will connect 1,977 underserved households in Pemberton, Steelhead, Ryder Lake, northwest of Princeton and the north Sunshine Coast.
“High-speed internet service is essential to the success of everyone living and working in rural British Columbia,” said Rural Economic Development Minister Maryam Monsef in a news release. “We will continue to make investments like these to help connect every Canadian to the high-speed internet they need.”
The federal government launched the $1.75 billion Universal Broadband Fund on November 9th and included the Rapid Response Stream. The stream has made up to $150 million immediately available for shovel-ready projects that can be completed by November 15th, 2021.
The stream was created to ensure that projects that are ready to move forward can receive quick approval to allow for construction to begin as soon as possible.
“Projects funded under the UBF, as well as through other public and private investments, will help connect 98 percent of Canadians to high-speed internet by 2026 and achieve the national target of 100 percent connectivity by 2030,” the government notes.
The fund is currently open for applications until March 15th, 2021. It’s worth noting that the government provides a service to help applicants build partnerships and navigate the application process.
