The Liberal government is set to make an announcement today about their long-promised plan to expand high-speed broadband access to rural Canada.
The announcement comes as more Canadians find themselves living online while stuck at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to make the announcement at 10 a.m. ET along with Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains, Rural Economic Development Maryam Monsef, Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna and Government House leader Pablo Rodriguez.
It will be followed by a technical briefing for reporters about the government’s “efforts to support high-speed internet access for Canadians in rural and remote communities.”
The Liberal government made a promise to improve access last year on the campaign trail and Monsef promised to hasten those plans in response to the pandemic.
That pledge was reiterated during September’s throne speech.
“The government will accelerate the connectivity timelines and ambitions of the Universal Broadband Fund to ensure that all Canadians, no matter where they live, have access to high-speed internet,” said Gov. Gen. Julie Payette, reading from the speech.
In rural areas, CRTC data suggest as little as 40.8 per cent of Canadian households have access to high-speed broadband.
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