EVES GOVERNMENT CONTINUES SUPPORT OF BROADBAND
IN RURAL AREAS
BROCKVILLE — The Ernie Eves government
is investing $2,792,500 to support technology
development of a broadband network for small
towns and rural communities in Ontario, Brian
Coburn, Associate Minister of Municipal Affairs
and Housing, responsible for rural affairs and
Bob Runciman, MPP for Leeds-Grenville announced
today.
This project will establish, across the entire
Leeds-Grenville area, an operational broadband
network using a combination of fibre and microwave
technology. In addition to enabling traditional
Internet service, the hybrid broadband network
will support such emerging services as Voice
over Internet Protocol (VoIP), video conferencing,
eLearning, eGovernment, eHealth and eEconomy.
“This initiative is part of Ernie Eves
government’s larger rural broadband network
vision,” said Coburn. “Once complete,
the project will provide an implementation model
that can be used by other rural communities
across the province.”
The Thousand Islands Community Development
Corporation and Ripnet Ltd. are providing the
balance of the $7,192,500 funding for this initiative.
“We are pleased that the government of
Ontario recognizes the value of broadband service
in rural areas,” said Tom Russell, executive
director of the Thousand Islands Community Development
Corporation. “It will lead to rural investment
and job creation in Leeds-Grenville.”
"The Ernie Eves government is committed
to ensuring that rural Ontario has the infrastructure
and resources needed to achieve greater prosperity,"
said Bob Runciman, MPP for Leeds-Grenville.
"This broadband network will be a powerful
tool for people to use as they work to generate
greater economic benefits for themselves and
our region."
The five-year, $200-million Rural Economic
Development (RED) program is a component of
the Ontario Small Town and Rural (OSTAR) Development
Initiative — a two-part, $600-million
initiative launched in 2000 to assist rural
Ontario. To date, more than $321 million in
investment has been generated by OSTAR-RED,
including more than $51.1 million in direct
investment by the Ontario government.
The RED program aims to remove barriers to
economic growth in rural Ontario by promoting
a diversified business climate, exploring new
products and new markets, creating long-term
job growth, and investing in technologies and
sectors that contribute to economic development
in rural Ontario.
