On March 9th , the Quebec government announced a budget of over $ 1 billion to speed up the connection of thousands of Quebec homes to high speed Internet. Following this announcement, on June 7th , federal and provincial elected officials mentioned that a total investment of $ 34.7 million, made through the Canada-Quebec Operation High Speed, will allow 5,380 households in the Montérégie region to have access to Cogeco high-speed Internet services by September 2022.
“As in other regions of Quebec, the people of Montérégie absolutely need reliable connectivity. The COVID-19 crisis has revealed how important it is to be able to access digital broadband services. By investing in these high-speed Internet service projects in the region, we are helping to bridge the digital divide, to connect our families and students, to help our small businesses stimulate their economic growth and create jobs”, says Peter Schiefke, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship of Canada and Member of Parliament for Vaudreuil-Soulanges.
Thus, Cogeco will receive a sum of $ 30.6 million to support the deployment of high-speed Internet services to 5,380 households located in Montérégie. The total cost of the project is $ 34.7 million. Over the next few weeks, Cogeco will carry out an inventory of the affected territories to confirm the number of households.
In a modern society like that of Quebec, high speed Internet services are essential. Access to efficient, reliable and affordable Internet services is at the heart of the economic and social development of communities. The work funded by the Canada-Quebec Operation High Speed is a key element in Quebec’s digital revolution and will promote access to telemedicine, distance learning, entertainment, online sales and teleworking.
“After so many years of waiting, all our citizens of the Jardins-de-Napierville RCM as well as the municipalities of Sainte-Martine, Saint-Urbain, Saint-Chrysostome and Lacolle, will finally be able to benefit from access to quality Internet service by September 2022. There is no longer any doubt that in our current society, high-speed Internet accessibility is as much as an essential service for businesses, education and community organizations than for individuals. Thank you to the entire team at the Ministère du Conseil exécutif and we congratulate our government for respecting its commitment”, said Claire IsaBelle, MP for Huntingdon and Chair of the Committee on Labour and the Economy.
