64 rural Nova Scotia communities to get high-speed internet access

About$26.4 million, most of it federally funded, will be spenttobring high-speed internet accessto 64rural and remote communities in Nova Scotia, Treasury Board president and Kings-Hants MP Scott Brison announced Friday.

One of the locations isan Indigenous community, and up to 80 institutions in the province will benefit from better online connections, Brison said.

Residents in rural communities across Nova Scotia have complained for years about slow, spotty, or non-existent high-speed internet. They say it has hampered business opportunities in small communities and hurt the education of students.

Of the $26.4 million announced Thursday:

• $17.7 millionwill come from the federal Connect to Innovate program.
• $1.2 millionwill come from the Nova Scotia Internet Funding Trust established by the government ofNova Scotia.
• $6.9 millionwill be provided by community applicants.
• $517,000will come from other sources.

"This important investment will support farming and fishing industries in data collection and observation, students and youth in learning, and residents in day-to-day life with connected devices," Brison said.

Reliable high-speed internet is not a luxury, but is insteadcritical for the sustainability and development of rural communities, saidPeter Muttart, mayor of theMunicipality of the County of Kings.

Brisonsaid the Municipality of the County of Kings will receive $5.6 million for a project that will provide 10communities and 12 institutions with access to high-speed internet services.

No further details were provided about the communities which can expect high-speed internetaccess or atimeline of when the service is expected to be rolled out.

"The specific communitiesbenefitingfrom the Connect to Innovate funding for Nova Scotia will be announced in the coming months," a statement fromInnovation, Science and Economic Development Canada said Friday.