High-Speed Internet Coming to More Rural Communities

Government is taking the next steps towards making high-speed Internet service available in more rural communities in the province.

In the short term government will ask municipalities to bring forward proposals, and issue a call for information from service providers, so that solutions can be implemented quickly.

Government will also hire a team with technical expertise to develop a detailed plan and work with communities on projects for further development. The team will be in place this fall.

"Quality Internet service is an important part of driving economic growth and delivering services for health care, education and our most vulnerable citizens," said Business Minister Mark Furey. "This is what matters most to Nova Scotians, and it's why we remain committed to making sure more rural communities have access to better connections."

Budget 2016-2017 allocated $6 million to improve high-speed Internet service. Government also commissioned a report from EY, a global leader in advisory services, to evaluate the current situation and offer guidance on the way forward.

The EY report indicates Nova Scotia is in a similar position to other Canadian and North American areas, in terms of availability of high-speed Internet. It also illustrates that achieving faster speeds in rural areas will need a mix of technologies. Doing so will require significant investment and partnerships with community groups, the private sector and all levels of government.

The EY report is available at http://novascotia.ca/business/about/ .