Prince Township, other areas near Sault will soon have high-speed internet: Sheehan

Both the federal and Ontario governments state they are moving ahead with commitments to complete broadband projects that will provide reliable high-speed internet access for rural and northern Ontario, and all of Canada.

Sault MP Terry Sheehan and Sault MPP Ross Romano were among several speakers in attendance at a broadband improvement update held virtually Friday.

“Up to over $170 million has been allocated for projects in northeastern Ontario that will benefit over 39,000 households. Fantastic. Rural Canadians indeed, rural Ontarians, have spoken, and the government of Canada has listened,” Sheehan said, addressing the virtual gathering.

The federal and Ontario governments have announced an equal amount of spending in the amount of $1.2 billion to speed up broadband projects in Ontario.

“In working with the province of Ontario, we’re on track to have everyone connected by 2025, at 100 per cent... we’re considerably ahead of that schedule. In this area, Batchawana Bay, Northland Station, Searchmont, Glendale, Foleyet, Island Lake, Trout Lake, Garden River are some of the communities (to benefit from improved broadband in the near future),” Sheehan said, speaking to SooToday.

“It’ll be rapidly deployed,” Sheehan said.

“It’ll include Carpin Beach, Gros Cap, Pointe Louise,” Romano told us.

Four-hundred and three households in Prince Township will benefit from a contribution of over $157,000 from the federal government in the broadband program.

LeepFrog Telecom will improve the broadband connectivity in that area for a total project cost of $210,730.

“All projects (included in the latest round of broadband improvement projects) are currently shovel ready and must be completed by March 31, 2024. We’ll be seeing some of these shovels in the ground within weeks, it’s the understanding we have,” Romano said.

The federal government states it wants to see, through its $2.75 billion Universal Broadband Fund launched in November 2020, 100 per cent of Canadians hooked up with improved broadband and high-speed internet by 2030, 98 per cent of them by 2026.

The province, too, has stated it wants to see all Ontario households with improved broadband and high-speed internet by late 2025.

“We look forward to announcing the next round of project approvals in the coming months. Application assessments are ongoing and many new projects are expected to be announced by Christmas,” Sheehan said, acknowledging the federal government’s partnership with the province, participating internet service providers, municipalities and First Nations communities.

Will improved broadband and high-speed internet lead to lower monthly fees (currently costing $60 a month on average) for subscribers as a result of the joint government program?

“There are a number of providers that will be a part of the program. I do know that our pricing...has been falling the past number of years, so the pricing will remain competitive. What you see in a larger urban centre like Toronto or a smaller community, you’ll see them be in line in both those places, so there won’t be a difference between those two locations,” said Simon Dwyer, Bell Canada director of government affairs, speaking to reporters.

At least 20 internet providers are partnering with the federal and Ontario governments in the ambitious project, including Bell Canada, Cogeco Connexion, Rogers Communications Canada Inc. and Vianet Inc.

“In 2020, the federal government entered into a $600 million agreement to secure high-speed internet access for Canada’s most remote areas—including the far north—through Telesat’s Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation,” a federal government release states.

MP Sheehan, MPP Romano and Bell Canada’s Dwyer were joined at Friday’s virtual news conference by several political leaders and business figures, including Ontario Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Vic Fedeli, Algoma-Manitoulin MPP Michael Mantha and Sault Ste. Marie Ward 5 City Councillor Matthew Scott.