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MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Premier Brian Pallister announced Thursday that the province has signed a memorandum of understanding with Xplornet Communications to improve internet connectivity to hundreds of rural, remote and Indigenous communities.
More than 125,000 unserved or underserved Manitobans are a step closer to receiving reliable high-speed internet and cellular services.
More than 125,000 unserved or underserved Manitobans are a step closer to receiving reliable high-speed internet and cellular services.
Premier Brian Pallister announced Thursday that the province has signed a memorandum of understanding with Xplornet Communications to improve connectivity to hundreds of rural, remote and Indigenous communities.
Faster internet and cell service promised to more than 125,000 Manitobans
The provincial government has signed a memorandum of understanding with Xplornet Communications to provide hundreds of rural and remote communities with internet and cell service.
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CBC News ·
Posted: May 13, 2021 11:37 AM CT | Last Updated: May 13
New and expanded broadband service will be provided to nearly 30 First Nations and 270 rural and northern communities under a new deal being finalized between the province and Xplornet Communications, Premier Brian Pallister says.(Shutterstock)
WINNIPEG The Manitoba government is working to improve broadband cell service in rural, remote, and Indigenous communities. Premier Brian Pallister and Central Services Minister Reg Helwer announced at a news conference on Thursday that the province signed a memorandum of understanding with Xplornet Communications Inc. This partnership will help to connect 125,000 unserved or underserved residents to high-speed internet services as early as this fall. “This pandemic has reinforced that the virtual reality many of us now take for granted remains a virtual dream for far too many of our fellow Manitobans,” Pallister said, noting a person’s future success shouldn’t be dependent on where they live in the province.
We recognize the social and economic benefit of a connected Manitoba, and we are pleased to partner with Xplornet, one of Canada’s leading broadband service providers, to provide reliable, high-speed internet and cell services to Manitobans who have gone without these services for far too long,” said Premier Brian Pallister in a news release. The agreement will provide broadband internet access to nearly 30 First Nations and approximately 270 other communities. It will also serve 350 communities with cell phone access. Few of the communities it will affect are north of the 53rd parallel, with the exception of Cranberry Portage, Mosakahiken Cree Nation and Opaskwayak Cree Nation. Northern communities like Lynn Lake with no cell phone service and limited internet service providers are not among the list of affected communities.
Brandon Sun By: The Brandon Sun Save to Read Later
The provincial government has chosen Xplornet Communications to expand internet and cellular access to rural and northern communities.
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The provincial government has chosen Xplornet Communications to expand internet and cellular access to rural and northern communities.
Approximately 125,000 more people will now have access to high-speed internet, Premier Brian Pallister said on Thursday morning.
As school, work and so many aspects of daily live moved online during the COVID-19 pandemic, Pallister said the last year underscored the need for improved internet access in rural Manitoba. Being connected and living virtually are no longer choices, they’re necessities, they’re a way of life in 2021, Pallister said.