Canada expanding high-speed Internet access in New Brunswick

Federal investment of over $73 million will help connect over 27,600 homes to high speed Internet

"High-speed Internet is no longer a luxury-it's a necessity, no matter where you live in Canada. It's how people access health care virtually, start a business or just stay in touch with their loved ones. That's why the federal government made a historic commitment to provide access to high-speed Internet to 100% of Canadian households by 2030. Today's announcement brings us one step closer to achieving that goal and represents a major milestone for connectivity in communities across the province, one that will provide reliable high-speed Internet access to more than 27,600 underserved homes in over 500 rural and remote New Brunswick communities."
- The Honourable Buckley Belanger, Secretary of State for Rural Development

"We know how important reliable Internet is for Canadians across the country to stay connected and for businesses to operate and grow. As part of our commitment to bringing Canadians the biggest and best networks, we're proud to be expanding access to high-speed Internet to more homes across rural New Brunswick."
- Mark Kennedy, Chief Technology Officer, Rogers

"Xplore is committed to bringing fast, reliable connectivity to communities across New Brunswick. With support from the Government of Canada through the Universal Broadband Fund, we are expanding our 100% pure fibre Internet network to thousands of additional homes in western New Brunswick. This build is an important step to improve access to modern, reliable connectivity across the province. Fibre-powered Internet strengthens local economies, supports access to health and education services, and keeps families connected-no matter their postal code."
- Brent Johnston, Chief Executive Officer, Xplore Inc.

• 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 is a $3.225 billion investment by the Government of Canada designed to help provide high-speed Internet access to 98% of Canadian households by the end of 2026 and achieve the national target of 100% access by 2030.

• Today, 96.3% of Canadian households have access to high-speed Internet, compared to just 79% in 2014.

• In New Brunswick, 95.6% of households currently have access to high-speed internet.

• Since 2015, the Government of Canada has invested $266 million in connectivity projects in New Brunswick.

• The Canada Infrastructure Bank has committed more than $2 billion toward digital (broadband) infrastructure, closing last-mile connectivity gaps across Canada.

• Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit and gender diverse people are more likely to go missing or be murdered than non-Indigenous women. Better connectivity means more tools in moments of danger, helping victims of violence access critical online resources and get help when they need it most.

Associated links

• Rural economic development
• High-Speed Internet Access Dashboard
• Universal Broadband Fund
• Backgrounder: Universal Broadband Fund and Telesat low Earth orbit capacity agreement
• Canada Infrastructure Bank: Digital Infrastructure and AI
• High-Speed Access for All: Canada's Connectivity Strategy
• National Broadband Map
• Federal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People

Connor Burton
Senior Communications and Issues Advisor and Press Secretary
Office of the Secretary of State (Rural Development)
[email protected]
343-549-8093

Media Relations Innovation, Science and Economic Development [email protected]

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