The federal and Quebec governments, together with Bell, have completed a project to bring high-speed Internet to the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region.
The three parties invested $ 2.5 million to connect 1,650 homes in the region. Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada has announced that the project is now complete and that residents of the communities of L’Anse-Saint-Jean, Sainte-Rose-du-Nord, Saint-Félicien and Saint-Ambroise can benefit from a reasonable price internet service.
It is worth noting that this infrastructure project was part of a larger intergovernmental initiative to provide connectivity to up to 24,000 households in 58 regions of Quebec.
Government funding for this project came from the $ 585 million Connect to Innovate program, which aims to increase high-speed Internet access across the country.
“The COVID-19 crisis has shown us how important it is to be able to access the digital world,” said Minister of National Revenue Diane Lebouthillier, in a Press release.
“By investing in these projects through the Connect to Innovate program, we continue to bridge the digital divide so that Quebecers in the regions can also benefit from all the advantages that the digital world offers.”
The government notes that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has increased the need for a reliable internet, especially for Canadians living in rural communities.
This comes when the federal and Quebec governments, together with Bell, recently completed a project to bring high-speed internet to Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier.