Question Period Note: CANADA-QUEBEC OPERATION HIGH SPEED

What are the details of Canada-Quebec Operation High Speed first announced on March 22, 2021?

• Access to high-speed Internet is essential for all Canadians.

• That is why the Government of Canada is investing in rural and remote Internet infrastructure, including $3.225 billion under the Universal Broadband Fund.

• The Government of Canada is proud to collaborate with Quebec on Operation High Speed to invest up to $920 million to provide high-speed Internet access to 166,000 households in the province.

• The government is committed to providing access to 98% of Canadians by 2026. This can only be achieved through partnerships with other levels of government, the private sector, Indigenous groups, and other stakeholders.

• Canada-Quebec Operation High Speed Phases 1 and 2 were announced on March 22 and July 21, 2021, respectively. An investment totalling $920 million will provide high-speed internet access to 166,000 households in the province that do not currently have access to 50/10 Mbps Internet service.
• The Government of Canada is working hard with all provinces and territories to ensure that projects are announced across the country in the coming months.

• To date, the government has announced more than $2 billion in funding through the Universal Broadband Fund to provide high-speed Internet access to more than 900,000 households.

The $3.225 billion Universal Broadband Fund (UBF) will help ensure that 98% of Canadians will have access to high-speed Internet by 2026, and 100% by 2030. The UBF includes a Rapid Response Stream for shovel-ready projects that can be completed quickly, $50 million for mobile projects that primarily benefit Indigenous peoples, and $750 million for large, high-impact projects.
In addition to Quebec, the Government of Canada has announced other federal-provincial broadband partnerships with Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Newfoundland, and Prince Edward Island.
The Government of Canada’s funding of $460 million for Operation High Speed comes from the Universal Broadband Fund, and Quebec funding of $460 million comes from the province’s $1.3 billion commitment to connect all of Quebec by September 2022.
In addition to Operation High Speed phases 1 and 2, Quebec has made additional connectivity announcements under Operation High Speed where the government of Canada is not providing funding. Quebec announced Phase 3 in November 2021, which allocates $150 million to provide internet access to all remaining households in the province (estimated at 15,000-30,000).
In May 2022, Quebec also announced $50 million to provide internet access to 10,000 satellite-dependent households in the province using SpaceX’s Starlink. The announcement included a $9.5 million subsidy for the targeted households to cover the cost of acquiring the equipment. There have been recent reports that an even higher number of households in Quebec may benefit from Starlink on a transitional basis while fiber is being installed.
Quebec has produced an interactive map so that all Quebecers can see the progress of high speed Internet deployment in their area and provide the government feedback on any missing households.
Under the Rapid Response Stream (RRS) of the UBF, over $1.2 million in UBF funding has been announced to cover over 2,000 households in Quebec with improved Internet access.
Across all Government of Canada broadband programs since 2015, more than $737 million in funding has been announced for connectivity projects in Quebec.