Innovation, Business and Rural Development
August 9, 2013
As a part of the Provincial Government’s commitment to providing leading edge telecommunications services and infrastructure, broadband coverage will be extended to an additional 584 households in Newfoundland and Labrador. The announcement was made today by the Honourable Keith Hutchings, Minister of Innovation, Business and Rural Development, who was joined by the Honourable Felix Collins, Minister for Intergovernmental and Aboriginal Affairs and the MHA for Placentia - St. Mary’s, in Admirals Beach.
“Utilizing a variety of technologies, such as fibre, wireless and satellite, the Provincial Government continues to invest and strengthen our province’s innovation infrastructure,” said Minister Hutchings. “We are pleased to continue to advance broadband access to communities and businesses throughout the province with this investment of approximately $160,000, and are well on target to reach approximately 95 per cent coverage for the province by 2014.”
Strategic investments and effective partnerships have been the cornerstone to identifying and delivering broadband solutions. EION Inc. has been contracted to make fixed wireless broadband access available to an additional 14 unserved areas, representing 584 households located in St. Barbe, Placentia - St. Mary’s, Port au Port, Lewisporte and Grand Bank. The broadband expansion will increase access to more than 500 communities throughout Newfoundland and Labrador – up from 114 communities in 2003. A list of the areas is noted in the attached backgrounder.
“In the last two years, our government has made great strides in improving Internet services in the province and in the Placentia - St. Mary's area,” said Minister Collins. “I am pleased that today, the people of Admirals Beach and Point Lance are a step closer to having access to broadband services.”
The Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI) was launched in 2011 to provide incentive to telecommunications carriers to expand broadband access into unserved rural and remote areas of Newfoundland and Labrador. Since 2003, Provincial Government investments totalling $29 million have leveraged more than $115 million from other sources to improve broadband access in Newfoundland and Labrador. Work continues with industry, community, and government partners to further improve broadband infrastructure.
Media contacts:
| Heather MacLean Director of Communications Department of Innovation, Business and Rural Development 709-729-4570, 697-4137 heathermaclean@gov.nl.ca |
Marg Craniford Constituency Assistant to the Honourable Felix Collins MHA for Placentia - St. Mary’s 709-729-6926 |
Broadband coverage will be extended to the following:
| Bartlett’s Harbour |
| New Ferrolle, Reef’s Harbour-Shoal Cove West-New Ferolle |
| Pond Cove |
| Admirals Beach |
| Point Lance |
| Romaines, Port au Port East |
| Point au Mal, Fox Island River-Point au Maul |
| Two Gut Pond, Fox Island River-Point au Maul |
| Fox Island River, Fox Island River-Point au Maul |
| Port au Port West, Port au Port West-Aguathuna-Felix Cove |
| Masons Cove, Embree |
| Salt Pond Cove, Embree |
| Calmer |
| Lories, Point May |
2013 08 09 12:10 p.m.