Question Period Note: ¬BROADBAND FUNDING TO PROVINCES AND TERRITORIES WITHOUT CO-FUNDING AGREEMENTS

How much broadband funding has been provided to provinces and territories that do not have federal-provincial agreements?

• High-speed Internet access is essential for all Canadians.

• That’s why the Government of Canada has committed $7.6 billion to improve connectivity for Canadians, with an additional $6.4 billion committed by provinces and territories.

• Since 2015, $923 million has been announced for connectivity projects in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut.

• The government remains committed to its national target of 98% of Canadian households having access to high-speed Internet by 2026, and 100% by 2030.

Broadband Funding Across Government Programs

Since 2015, the Government of Canada has made more than $7.6 billion in funding available to improve access to high-speed Internet for all Canadians through various programs, including:

• Universal Broadband Fund (UBF): The $3.225 billion fund is helping to bring 50/10 Mbps Internet service to 98% of Canadian households by 2026 and all Canadians by 2030. Projects selected to proceed under the UBF can be viewed on the UBF selected projects page.
• Connect to Innovate (CTI): Budget 2016 provided $500 million to establish the CTI program, which received an $85 million top-up in Budget 2019 to bring improved Internet speeds to over 975 rural and remote communities across Canada, including 190 Indigenous communities.
• Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s (CRTC): The $750 million fund (sourced from a levy on telecommunications service providers’ revenues) is helping to achieve universal Internet access at speeds of 50/10 Mbps, as well as mobile coverage along major roads.
• Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB): The $2 billion fund is providing financing for large, high-impact broadband projects.

• The government recognizes that collaboration with other levels of government, the private sector, Indigenous groups and stakeholders is essential to reach connectivity targets.

• The government is on track to meet national targets. To date, 94.8% of Canadian homes have access to high-speed Internet.

• As part of the $3.225 billion Universal Broadband Fund (UBF), significant funding agreements with Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island have been announced.

• On July 24, 2024, a UBF call for interest to Internet Service Providers was launched for Manitoba and Saskatchewan to help reach connectivity targets.