Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Chad Klassen

HIGH-SPEED INTERNET

B.C. Interior communities can begin applying for high-speed internet funding

Dec 3, 2019 | 5:10 PM

KAMLOOPS — Rural communities in the Southern Interior and throughout the province can now apply for funding from the province to get on board the high-speed internet highway.

The $50 million program is called Connecting British Columbia, which aims to connect rural and First Nations communities to high-speed internet.

The province expects up to 200 communities will access funding from both the provincial and federal governments. It has already seen the impacts of the program in the Interior.

“Having access to the internet is a human right. Education is connected to it, health care is connected to it,” said Parliamentary Secretary for rural development Ravi Kahlon. “There’s a gentleman named Roger that has a nursery farm near 100 Mile who came to the announcement and he told me that this was a game-changer for his community. Last year, we were able to get internet access to his nursery and now his market isn’t just local. Now, it’s a global market.”

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The program was started in 2015 by the Liberals, which first invested $10 million before adding $40 million to the pot. Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Peter Milobar says this will allow communities to finish ‘the last mile’ in connecting to high-speed internet.

“As we saw starting in 2015, $50 million has already gone in. It’s done a lot of great work,” said Milobar. “This $50 million, to go in conjunction with the federal government program of $750 million should help continue to address that and hopefully it covers off a lot more communities.”

The provincial government says if communities are ready to put forward proposals, there’s a good chance they will be approved.