The Government of Canada is expanding high-speed Internet access in Ontario

Investment will bring high-speed Internet access to more than 820 homes across Ontario

CHRISTIAN ISLAND, ON, Aug. 24, 2026 /CNW/ -- Reliable and affordable high-speed Internet is essential for all Canadians. It enables access to important online resources, connects friends and families, and drives economic growth and innovation. This is why the Government of Canada is bringing high-speed Internet access to underserved communities--including Indigenous communities--across Ontario.

Today, Pauline Rochefort, Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretary of State for Rural Development, on behalf of the Honourable Buckley Belanger, Secretary of State for Rural Development, announced over $8.3 million in two projects that will reach up to 822 households in five Indigenous and remote communities across Ontario. This includes 621 Indigenous households.

The Government of Canada's investment is provided through the Universal Broadband Fund, a program designed to ensure that Canadians in rural, remote and Indigenous communities have access to reliable high-speed Internet. The program has also allocated up to $50 million in funding for mobile projects in areas that primarily benefit Indigenous communities.

Better, more reliable connectivity means easier access to important online resources, bridging the digital divide and increasing safety for Indigenous communities.

The federal government remains on track to meet its goal of providing high-speed Internet access to 98% of Canadian households by the end of 2026, and 100% by 2030. With these investments, the government is helping to create new opportunities for rural and remote communities--ensuring that all Canadians, no matter where they live, have full access to high-speed Internet, enabling them to participate in the digital economy and benefit from everything Canada has to offer.

Quotes

"High-speed Internet is foundational infrastructure for today's rural economy, just like roads, bridges and power lines. By expanding access to connectivity, our government is helping to level the playing field for rural, remote and Indigenous communities and ensuring that where you live does not determine your access to opportunity."

– The Honourable Buckley Belanger, Secretary of State for Rural Development

"In rural Ontario, having dependable sources of high-speed Internet makes it possible to access virtual health care, run a business online and stay in touch with loved ones. That's why our government has committed to providing high-speed access to 100% of Canadian households by 2030. Today's investment represents a major milestone for connectivity in our province and will help thousands more households in rural, remote and Indigenous communities access the opportunities that come with reliable and affordable high-speed Internet."

– Pauline Rochefort, Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretary of State for Rural Development

Quick facts

• Canada's Connectivity Strategy aims to provide all Canadians with access to Internet speeds of at least 50 megabits per second (Mbps) download / 10 Mbps upload.
• The Universal Broadband Fund is a $3.225 billion investment by the Government of Canada designed to help provide high-speed Internet access to 98% of Canadian households by the end of 2026 and achieve the national target of 100% access by 2030.
• Today, 97.4% of Canadian households have access to high-speed Internet, compared to just 79% in 2014.
• Since 2015, the Government of Canada has invested more than $2.5 billion in connectivity projects in Ontario.
• Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit individuals and gender diverse people are more likely to go missing or be murdered than non-Indigenous women. Better connectivity means more tools in moments of danger, enabling victims of violence to access critical online resources and get help when they need it most.

Associated links

• Rural economic development
• High-Speed Internet Access Dashboard
• Universal Broadband Fund
• Backgrounder: Universal Broadband Fund and Telesat low Earth orbit capacity agreement
• High-Speed Access for All: Canada's Connectivity Strategy
• National Broadband Map
• Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People

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SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Contacts: Connor Burton, Senior Communications and Issues Advisor and Press Secretary, Office of the Secretary of State for Rural Development, [email protected], 343-549-8093; Media Relations, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, [email protected]