The provincial and federal governments are looking to have every home in Newfoundland and Labrador connected to high-speed internet by 2030, and according to Ottawa the process to have the work started is already underway.
On Monday $136-million in joint federal-provincial funding was announced to connect 98 per cent of homes by 2026, and the remaining two per cent by 2030.
MP Gudie Hutchings says there are currently 60,000 homes in the province without internet.
She says proponents have been selected and the first areas have been confirmed. She states that some of the projects will be announced in the coming weeks.
It’s one thing to have the infrastructure in the ground, but it’s another to make sure that everyone can afford it. Hutchings says affordability is built into the process.
She points to two criteria: The first is scalability, which is the ability of the technology to ramp up to faster speeds as technology advances, and affordability. She says that’s a box that has to be checked and is a deciding factor in who gets the contract.