High-Speed Internet Coming to Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean

DOLBEAU-MISTASSINI, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - July 6, 2015) -

Everyday tasks that were once done in person, such as shopping, communicating, learning and banking, are now done online. To help Canadians have better access to these and many other online opportunities, the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, today announced that the Harper Government will provide over $2 million to Télénet Informatique and Digicom Internet sans fil, two local Internet service providers, to connect over 6,000 homes in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean area to faster Internet services.

Minister Lebel highlighted the fact that 3,721 households of Roberval-Lac-Saint-Jean will benefit from today's announcement. These broadband infrastructure projects are expected to be completed by the end of 2017, delivering Internet download speeds of over 5 megabits per second (Mbps).

For Canadians who live in communities with slow or no Internet, access to high-speed services will lead to new economic opportunities and the creation of new jobs, products and services.

By Canada's 150th birthday in 2017, over 98 percent of Canadian households will be able to subscribe to new or improved high-speed Internet services, which helps deliver on the Harper Government's commitment to rural Canadians.

Quick facts

• These projects will benefit some 40 communities in the Saguenay region, including Alma, Bégin, Dolbeau-Mistassini, L'Ascension-de-Notre-Seigneur, Mashteuiatsh, Métabetchouan-Lac-à-la-Croix, Saguenay, Saint-Ambroise, Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc, Saint-Félicien and Saint-Prime.
  
  
• Through Economic Action Plan 2014, the Government of Canada created the Connecting Canadians program, backed by a $305-million commitment to connect an additional 280,000 households in rural and remote regions of the country to high-speed Internet services at minimum speeds of 5 Mbps.
  
  
• The Government has exceeded its Economic Action Plan 2014 target by over 75,000 households in the first round of project approvals, bringing high-speed Internet access to more than 356,000 homes across Canada, and was nearly 40 percent under budget.
  
  
• Last summer, the Government invited Canadians to provide feedback online to help better determine areas in need of high-speed Internet access. Once information was received, Industry Canada invited Internet service providers to submit proposals for funding under Connecting Canadians to build the wireless or wired infrastructure that will provide services to rural and remote communities in need.
  
  
• The first projects are expected to be completed by the time Canada celebrates the 150th anniversary of Confederation in 2017.
  
  
• Industry Canada received over 300 applications to the Connecting Canadians program from Internet service providers across Canada.
  
  
• Every province and territory across the country will benefit from the Connecting Canadians program. Announcements of individual projects will be made throughout the summer.
  
  

Quotes

"The Connecting Canadians program helps rural communities expand high-speed Internet access and leverage the economic development that can come with it. I am very proud to announce an investment of over $2 million by the federal government to increase access and opportunity in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean area."

- Denis Lebel, Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs; Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec and Member of Parliament for Roberval-Lac-Saint-Jean

"Today's announcement marks the next important phase in our government's plan to bring the benefits of high-speed Internet to communities in rural and remote regions across the country. Providing Canadians with access to high-speed Internet for learning, business opportunities and so much more is key to creating a more connected, digital Canada."

- James Moore, Minister of Industry

Associated link

- Connecting Canadians website

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