Xplornet will ensure access to high speed Internet in 14 municipalities of the MRC Pontiac
Xplornet will ensure access to high speed Internet in 14 municipalities of the MRC Pontiac
Following the announcement of the Operation high speed Canada-Quebec project to allow the Outaouais to have access to high-speed Internet services by September 2022, the governments of Quebec and Canada, as well as Xplornet , held a press conference yesterday announcing that 14 of the 18 municipalities of Pontiac and the municipality of Pontiac will soon be served by the company.
In total, the two levels of government are investing $ 112 million for projects to be led by Cogeco and Xplornet to serve 18,200 homes in the Outaouais region. The politicians present on the spot repeated yesterday that penalties will apply to companies if they are not able to meet the deadline.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that it has never been so important to connect all Quebecers to high speed Internet. This is why our government is investing to connect homes and businesses in the Outaouais by September 2022. With this historic announcement, and thanks to our good collaboration with the government of Quebec, we are increasing the potential for economic growth and contributing to improve the quality of life of Quebecers living in the regions, ”said the MP for Pontiac and parliamentary secretary to the minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, William Amos.
With the exception of Upper Pontiac (Sheenboro, Chichester, L’Isle-aux-Allumettes and Rapides-des-Joachims), all the municipalities of the MRC Pontiac will be served by Xplornet. For the municipalities of the Haut Pontiac, it is Bell who should ensure that the infrastructure is put in place to ensure access to high speed Internet.
To deploy high-speed Internet services in the Outaouais, Cogeco will receive $ 23.8 million to cover 2,890 homes. The total value of the project is $ 26.5 million. For its part, Xplornet will obtain funding of $ 57.5 million to cover 15,310 households, for a project with a total value of $ 85.5 million. The investments announced will accelerate the deployment of reliable and efficient infrastructures in the targeted municipalities, listed at the bottom of this article. Over the next few weeks, Cogeco and Xplornet will take inventory of the territories to ensure that no home will be left without service.
“Xplornet is proud to have been selected to carry out three distinct projects in the region, reflecting our strong ability to quickly complete large-scale rural projects. We thank the governments of Canada and Quebec for their confidence and we look forward to starting work in the Outaouais, ”said Xplornet vice-president for Quebec, Charles Beaudet.
High speed Internet services are now considered essential in a modern society like that of Quebec. Access to efficient, reliable and affordable Internet services is at the heart of the economic and social development of communities. The projects funded by the Canada-Quebec High Speed Operation are a key element in Quebec’s digital shift and will promote access to telemedicine, distance education, entertainment, online sales and teleworking.
“I am delighted with this announcement, which will allow the population of my region to benefit from fast, robust and premium Internet service. Today more than ever, high speed Internet access is crucial for the economic and social development of our communities. The major investments that we are making together, Canada and Quebec, in partnership with the companies Xplornet and Cogeco, are proof of our desire to respect our commitment to offer access to this service to all households in Quebec ”, declared the member for Gatineau for the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), Robert Bussière.
Operation High Speed is a joint initiative of the governments of Canada and Quebec. A sum of $ 826.3 million is being invested to support the deployment of high-speed Internet services to 148,000 homes, in particular through unprecedented agreements with six of the largest telecommunications companies.
The Government of Canada has allocated billions of dollars to Internet infrastructure in rural and remote areas, which includes $ 2.75 billion under the Universal Broadband Fund, of which $ 1 billion is coming from of Budget 2021.
The interview with William Amos is available here
Municipalities served for the Pontiac as part of this announcement
MRC des Collines-de-l’Outaouais
Pontiac
MRC Pontiac
Alleyn-et-Cawood
Bristol
Bryson
Campbell’s Bay
Clarendon
Fort-Coulonge
L’Île-du-Grand-Calumet
Litchfield
Mansfield-et-Pontefract
Otter Lake
Portage-du-Fort
Shawville
Thorne
Waltham
