$97-million investment announced to connect 18,600 northern Ontario homes to high speed internet

A partnership between the federal and Ontario governments is expected to connect 18,600 homes on Manitoulin Island and the north shore of Lake Huron to high speed internet by the end of 2025.

At a newsconference in Sudbury, Ont., both levels of government announced $97 million for the broadband internet project.

"By continuing to invest in key infrastructure, we're bridging the digital divide and helping to ensure that everyone will have the tools they need to succeed while bolstering our province's economy," said Amarjot Sandhu, parliamentary assistant to Ontario's minister of infrastructure.

The investment is part of a $1.2-billion CanadaOntario broadband partnership announced in 2021, meant to close the gap between rural and urban communities for broadband internet access.

The province's goal is for everyone in Ontario to have access to high speed internet by the end of 2025, while the federal government's goal is for coast-to-coast broadband access by 2030.

The $97-million investment will connect 60 communities between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., to a fibre network.

The funding is going to a company called ROCK Networks to design and build the network.

"We're building bridges to a future where every household, every business and every anchor institution has the opportunity to thrive," said ROCK Networks founder and president Joe Hickey.

Hickey says they will have an open access network model, which means internet service providers can access the network and provide their services directly to their customers.

About2,500 Indigenous households will benefit from the investment. Internet service provider FirstTel, which is owned by Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve, has already signed on to use the network.

Hickey says they will be able to offer gigabit speeds over their network.

Nikki Manitowabi, the financial policy analyst for Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve, says about1,100 households in the community will benefit from the investment. And FirstTel will provide those homes with internet access.

Algoma-Manitoulin MPP Michael Mantha welcomed the investment, but says he has his doubts the province can meet its goal to connect every community to high speed internet by the end of 2025.

"I think it's going to bring us close to that finish line, but I don't think we're going to be able to cross that finish line," Mantha said.

He says that for the most rural and remote communities, it will take a mix of technologies including satellite internet and high-speed cellular data to get every household and business high speed internet access.