The federal government is investing $62.8 million to bring high-speed internet to the Laurentides region in Quebec.
The project is being funded under the Canada0 Quebec Operation High Speed initiative and will bring connectivity to over 15,000 households in the region by September 2022.
Cogeco will receive $48.9 million to support the deployment of high-speed internet services to the targeted municipalities, which include Amherst, Arundel, Labelle, Lanier, Montcalm and more.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that connecting all Quebecers to high-speed internet has never been more important,” said Will Amos, the parliamentary secretary to Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne, in a statement.
“With this historic announcement, and thanks to our good collaboration with the Government of Quebec, we’re increasing the potential for economic growth and helping improve the quality of life of Quebecers in rural communities.”
The federal government has released its fourth quarterly report tracking the progress of its commitment to reduce the cost of mid-range wireless plans by 25 percent over the next two years.
The report acknowledges that although the data collected shows price reductions, more progress is still needed. The fourth tracker covers the period from January to March 2021.
After more than a year of tracking, the report outlines that the majority of mid-range data plans have seen price declines between nine and 25 percent when compared to the benchmark prices collected in early 2020, mainly due to promotional pricing.
For context, the benchmark price, or the price to which the 25 percent reduction will apply, is based on prices advertised on carrier websites in early 2020 for postpaid, bring your own device (BYOD), unlimited talk and text 4G/LTE plans in the 2GB to 6GB range.
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The federal government is investing $9.5 million to bring high-speed internet to the Mauricie region in Quebec.
The funding is being provided under the Canada-Quebec Operation High Speed initiative, which aims to give Quebec the highest connectivity rate in Canada, at 99 percent.
Xplornet will receive $5.73 million to deploy high-speed internet to 1,020 homes in the area. The project will bring connectivity to the municipalities of La Bostonnais, La Tuque and Lac-Ãdouard.
âThe people of the Mauricie region, as in other Quebec regions, absolutely need reliable connectivity. The COVID-19 crisis has shown the importance of having access to broadband digital services,â said Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne in a statement.
from Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Sunday, May 2, 2021
COVID-19 vaccine maker Providence says it s leaving Canada after calls for more federal support go unanswered
A volunteer receives an injection in this undated handout image provided by Providence Therapeutics. (Providence Therapeutics/The Canadian Press) The head of a homegrown company behind a promising COVID-19 vaccine says he s ready to pull his company out of Canada and take its product elsewhere after calls for more substantial federal support went unanswered. Brad Sorenson, the CEO of Calgary-based Providence Therapeutics, told CBC News he s had enough of the runaround from federal and provincial governments and he s working with the company s board of directors to move its operations overseas to focus on developing a vaccine for people in the southern hemisphere.