Minister Paradis Delivers Update on Latest Broadband Canada Funding in Quebec

VAL-D'OR, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - Jan. 12, 2011) - The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Natural Resources, today delivered an update on the third round of Quebec projects to receive conditional funding approval through the Broadband Canada: Connecting Rural Canadians program, originally announced on November 6, 2010. Five new projects will soon make broadband Internet access available to approximately 2300 households in Quebec.

"We firmly believe that Quebecers living in the regions should have the same opportunities as their fellow citizens in the big cities. I am delighted to announce that more families, businesses and organizations in Quebec will soon have access to high speed Internet for the first time," said Minister Paradis. "Our government is committed to creating new economic opportunities for northern and rural Canadians by expanding broadband Internet service into their communities."

Canada's Economic Action Plan provided $225 million for the development and implementation of a strategy to extend broadband coverage. By far the biggest component of this strategy is Broadband Canada: Connecting Rural Canadians, an initiative that targets Canadians living in unserved and underserved areas. The last round of conditionally approved funding builds on earlier project announcements, made on May 9, 2010, and between July 6 and 15, 2010. Collectively, the three rounds of projects will make broadband connectivity available to nearly 250 000 Canadian households.

Important economic and social benefits, including telehealth, business opportunities and distance learning, will become available to the individuals, families and businesses that will soon have access to broadband Internet. In general, broadband Internet access will encourage economic development, spur innovation and improve the quality of life in hundreds of communities across Canada.

The attached backgrounder provides more information on this round of announcements in Quebec. More details, including the areas covered by these projects, are available on the Broadband Canada website (www.ic.gc.ca/broadband).

Backgrounder

Broadband Canada: Connecting Rural Canadians

Quebec Round 3 Celebratory Event

On November 6, 2010, the Government of Canada announced the third round of projects in Quebec to receive conditional funding approval through the Broadband Canada: Connecting Rural Canadians program. The five projects conditionally approved in this round reflect a total investment of $2 274 339 in the province. Collectively, these projects will offer broadband Internet access to an estimated 2270 households.

The following three companies have received final funding approval as a result:

• Communication-Témiscamingue
• TGV Net Mauricie
• UNI Connexions Abitibi Inc.

More details on this announcement, including the areas covered by these projects, are available on the Broadband Canada website (www.ic.gc.ca/broadband).

Combined with the projects announced in Round 1 on May 9, 2010, and in Round 2 between July 6 and 15, 2010, Broadband Canada will soon bring high-speed broadband Internet connectivity to 115 386 households in Quebec, for a total provincial investment of $50 378 918. While the November 6 announcements were the last round of major announcements under Broadband Canada, additional investments involving more geographic areas, regions, provinces and companies may be made in the near future.

About Broadband Canada

As part of Budget 2009: Canada's Economic Action Plan, the Government of Canada provided $225 million over three years, beginning in 2009–10, for Industry Canada to develop and implement a strategy to extend broadband coverage. By far the biggest component of this strategy is Broadband Canada: Connecting Rural Canadians.

The program aims to extend broadband service to as many unserved and underserved Canadian households as possible. The program's focus on connecting households provides a clearer understanding of the availability of service to Canadians. Because communities vary greatly in size, the fact that a community has broadband access does not always mean that service is available to individual households.