Governments of Canada and Ontario invest over $48 million to bring high-speed Internet access to more than 3,800 homes and businesses in Ontario

Aurora-Oak Ridges to benefit from increased connectivity to high-speed Internet

Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill — All Canadians need reliable and affordable high-speed Internet, no matter where they live. The governments of Canada and Ontario are taking action to bring high-speed internet access to unserved and underserved communities.

Today, Paul Chiang, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion on behalf of the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development along with Amarjot Sandhu, Parliamentary Assistant to Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure, on behalf of the Honourable Kinga Surma, Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure, and Dawn Gallagher Murphy, Member of Provincial Parliament for Newmarket—Aurora, announced more than $48 million in combined federal and provincial funding for a project by YorkNet to bring high-speed Internet access to over 3,800 homes and businesses in 31 communities in York region.

“I am proud to recognize the investments made in YorkNet projects which aspire to improve high-speed internet access in our communities”, said MPP Michael Parsa. “Delivered through the Universal Broadband Fund program, thousands of residents will be provided with reliable and fast internet in underserved areas across Aurora and Oak Ridges”.

This project being announced today is part of an existing partnership between Ontario and Canada. On July 29, 2021, the governments announced their partnership to support large-scale, fibre-based projects that will provide high-speed internet access to more than 280,000 households and businesses across the province. This historic agreement was made possible by a joint federal-provincial investment totaling more than $1.2 billion.

Today’s announcement brings Ontario closer to achieving its goal of making high-speed internet accessible in every community across the province by the end of 2025.

Quick Facts

• On July 29, 2021, a Canada-Ontario broadband partnership was announced. This agreement will bring high-speed Internet access to more than 280,000 households across Ontario with a total investment of more than $1.2 billion, co-funded equally by both levels of government.
• The Ontario government is investing nearly $4 billion to bring access to reliable high-speed internet to every community across the province by the end of 2025. This is the largest single investment in high-speed internet, in any province, by any government in Canadian history.
• As of February 2023, Ontario has finalized agreements of more than $2.2 billion for nearly 200 high-speed internet and cellular projects across the province.

Additional Resources

• Ontario Connects: making high-speed Internet accessible in every community
• Ontario Builds: our infrastructure plan

Office of MPP Michael Parsa

Michael.parsaco@pc.ola.org