Nearly 1,500 homes in rural western Manitoba will soon have high-speed fibre internet.
The Westman Communications Group is receiving $8 million in funding through the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s (CRTC) broadband fund to build approximately 310 kilometres of transport fibre infrastructure in the region.
“The projects announced today will bring fibre internet to 16 rural communities in Manitoba,” said CRTC chief executive officer Vicky Eatrides. “This will improve access to health care and other government services, support small businesses and create new economic opportunities.”
Read Also
Sizing up Port of Churchill expansion challenges
The Port of Churchill has some hurdles to clear before it can become the sea trade powerhouse for Manitoba and Canada that governments and the agricultural industry hope it will.
The funding will cover four different projects.
The first and largest project entails 186 kilometre of transport fibre to connect 266 households in six communities. Those include Camperville, Cowan, Fork River, Renwer, Sifton and Valley River.
The second project will lay another 44 kilometres of fibre to connect 492 households in the communities of Crescent Cove Beach, Dauphin Beach, Laguna Beach, Oako Beach, Ochre Beach and Ochre River.
The third project will connect 429 households in the communities of Bernie, Eden and Riding Mountain with 44 kilometres of transport fibre.
The last project will lay down 18 kilometres of fibre to connect the community of Plumas.
The CRTC’s broadband fund was launched in 2019 to help improve high-speed internet and cellphones in underserviced areas. To date, the fund has built over 4,900 kilometres of fibre to help improve telecommunications services in rural, remote and Indigenous communities across the country, the commission has said.
“We are taking action to help ensure that all Canadians have access to high-speed internet,” said Eatrides.
