Today, the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development, together with Heath MacDonald, Member of Parliament for Malpeque, and the Honourable Matthew MacKay, Prince Edward Island’s Minister of Economic Growth, Tourism and Culture, announced a federal-provincial partnership to invest up to $20 million in projects that will support the shared goal of connecting every underserved home in rural communities throughout P.E.I. to high-speed Internet.

“We need to close the connectivity gap and ensure that every nook and cranny of Prince Edward Island has access to reliable high-speed Internet. Whether that’s from Tignish to Summerside, Murray Harbour to Souris or North Rustico, we are getting Islanders connected. That’s why the Canada-P.E.I. partnership of up to $20 million to connect rural homes in the province is a historic milestone for Islanders. What’s more, our government is taking immediate action today by connecting 56 communities in the province through a federal investment of more than $1.5 million. The Government of Canada will continue to make investments like these to help connect every Canadian and achieve our national target of connecting 98% of Canadians by 2026 and 100% by 2030.”
– The Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development

“The pandemic has shifted much of our lives online and transformed how we live, work, learn and do business. Without access to quality high-speed Internet, communities in Prince Edward Island are getting left behind, and we must do everything we can to prevent that from happening. Because of our government’s investments today, over 2,000 more Islanders, in rural communities across the province, will have access to high-speed Internet.”
– Heath MacDonald, Member of Parliament for Malpeque

“More than ever before, Islanders having access to reliable high-speed Internet is absolutely crucial for the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island. Over these past few years, we have worked hard and remained focused on achieving our targets. We thank the federal government for its continued commitment to investing in Prince Edward Island so together we can provide high-speed Internet for all Islanders across the province.”
– The Honourable Matthew MacKay, Minister of Economic Growth, Tourism and Culture

“Today, Islanders are benefiting from gigabit speeds and increased connectivity on Xplornet’s fibre network, and we’re excited to add this latest project to our network expansion plans already under way in Prince Edward Island. This next-generation network enables residents and businesses to connect to what matters most, and we’re proud to deliver these benefits across the Maritimes.”
– Allison Lenehan, President and CEO, Xplornet Communications Inc.

“The very things that make Prince Edward Island so very beautiful, with our trees and rolling hills, also make it a challenge to bring truly reliable broadband to every single Islander. We are proud to demonstrate that a local Island company can deliver fast and reliable fibre to every home in rural areas that previously were not able to benefit from the ultimate in broadband connectivity, and we look forward to the next phase of the growth of this network for Prince Edward Island.”
– Daniel Mullen, President, Island Telecom 

• The Canada-P.E.I. partnership will provide coverage to approximately 2,000 homes throughout the Island that are not covered by Island Telecom and Xplornet.

• 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 (UBF) is a $2.75 billion investment by the Government of Canada designed to help connect 98% of Canadians to high-speed Internet by 2026 and achieve the national target of 100% connectivity by 2030. Only the hardest to reach homes may take until 2030.

• The UBF is part of a suite of federal investments to improve high-speed Internet. Find out more on the High-speed Internet for all of Canada page.

Government of Canada

Luka Vujic
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Rural Economic Development
343-571-9582
luka.vujic@ised-isde.gc.ca

Media Relations
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
media@ised-isde.gc.ca

Government of Prince Edward Island

Hillary MacDonald
Senior Communications Officer
Office of the Minister of Economic Growth, Tourism and Culture
902-394-6368
hpsmacdonald@gov.pe.ca

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