Feds pledge $930K to expand high-speed internet access in Labrador

The federal government is putting forward nearly a million dollarsto improve access to high-speed internet in the Upper Lake Melville region of Labrador.

The $929,000 infunding will be used to better internet infrastructure, which will bring high-speed connections to more than 500 residences in North West River and Sheshatshiu, according to Rural Economic Development Minister Gudie Hutchings.

"As someone who grew up on the west coast of Newfoundland I spent many, many summers in Labrador," said Hutchings, also the Long Range Mountains member of Parliament, during the announcement Thursday.

"I know just how special communities like yours are, which is why I also know how important it is that all rural Canadians have access to reliable, high-speed Internet."

The effort to improve infrastructure and Internet access is a partnership between the federal government, the Sheshatshiu Innu First Nationand Big Land Networks, an information technology and communications company based in Labrador City.

The funding comes from a rapid response stream of government's Universal Broadband Fund, a $2.75-billion fund created that bills itself as a means ofgetting all Canadians online by 2030.

"This rapid response stream was created to respond to the pandemic, which has shown us just how important being connected to the Internet really is, especially in rural communities."Hutchings said.

David Hall, president of Big Land Networks, said the expansion wouldn't have been possible without thepartnership with Ottawa. He called the moveanexciting development for the region.

The group also hopes to expand to other parts of Labrador through the partnership.

Labrador MP Yvonne Jones said parts of the region have had to play catch-up with the rest of Canada when it comes to Internet access.

"For the most part, most of Labrador have been really left behind in terms of high-speed Internet, and it meant that we had to do a lot of upgrading over the years," Jones said.

"We have spent millions of dollars in Labrador in just in the last six years in upgradingand putting in new technology in communities to get us to where we are today. The next stage is to bring that to people's homes, and that's what we're trying to do now."

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