The MPP for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound anticipates a new broadband initiative will help drive further investment to expand connectivity to underserved areas of the province, including right here at home in Grey Bruce.
The Ford government announced earlier this week it is investing $150-million into Improving Connecting in Ontario, or ICON, a program that will begin accepting applications on investment proposals to improve connectivity later this month from telecom companies, municipal governments, Indigneous communities and non-profits.
The Ontario government will fund a portion of approved projects. According to a release, the government expects ICON may leverage up to $500-million in total funding from applicants.
Bill Walker, the Progessive Conservative MPP for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, acknowledges the government's investment in broadband is in response to COVID-19.
“We realize many more people have had to work from home due to the significance of Covid. There's a need for that, a necessity for that … obviously we want to try and respond. It's not going to cover everything, but it's certainly going to be another step in the right direction of hearing the people and putting some more funds available to try and get as many people connected as possible,” he says.
Walker anticipates ICON will be a complimentary program to rural broadband initiatives already in existence, such as the Southwestern Intergrated Fibre Technology — or SWIFT — a municipally-led non-profit broadband expansion project created to improve internet connectivity in underserved communities and rural areas across southwestern Ontario.
He's hopeful the ICON will help more people living in rural areas of Grey and Bruce counties get high-speed internet connectivity.
“Definitely lots of pockets in our own backyard, particularly in the rural areas, off the beaten path, down that backroad, county road, country road, gravel road — it's trying to get as many people connected and have that equal service wherever we can,” Walker says.
“It's a big, big project,” continues Walker. “It's not going to happen overnight, but we wanted to respond and show people we do know of the need and will continue to move forward and try to help progress in steps wherever we can.”