People in Lund and sḵelhp (formerly Saltery Bay) will benefit from two new projects to build infrastructure providing reliable, high-speed internet access.
"We're committed to ensuring everyone in British Columbia can access high-speed internet services, no matter where they live, by 2027," stated Lisa Beare, minister of citizens' services, in a media release. "We know that access to high-speed internet can be crucial for people living and working in remote areas such as Lund and skelhp. It can encourage community and economic growth by opening up opportunities for business, education, job training and access to services comparable to urban centres."
More than 140 households in Lund and sḵelhp will benefit from installation of new last-mile network infrastructure providing broadband internet speeds of more than 50 megabits per second (Mbps) for downloads, and 10 Mbps for uploads, the release stated. Once completed, people in the area will have better, faster access to digital services and opportunities through high-speed connectivity. The project, being built and to be operated by service provider CityWest, will begin construction in 2024, according to the release.
"As a business owner and resident of Saltery Bay, I feel that connectivity is essential for economic growth and community development in small, remote communities like ours," stated Sunny Dawn, resident and business owner from skelhp. "Businesses like mine need the ability to interact with the rest of the world to grow and succeed. This announcement is exciting. The future looks bright with the promise of access to reliable, high-speed internet."
These projects will support the delivery of high-speed internet in Lund and sḵelhp when the capacity enabled through the Connected Coast Network is achieved. Connected Coast is laying approximately 3,500 kilometres of subsea fibre-optic cable, providing backbone connectivity infrastructure to bring high-speed connectivity access to 139 communities from Prince Rupert, south to Vancouver, and around Vancouver Island, and is expected to be completed in 2024, the release stated.
"On behalf of the Lund community, I am thrilled to support the arrival of high-speed internet," stated qathet Regional District Electoral Area A director Jason Lennox. "We appreciate the federal and provincial strategies to support funding programs and make these initiatives attainable for rural and remote communities like ours. Small communities across BC have a very limited number of resources available to provide to infrastructure projects of this magnitude; provincial and federal grant programs make these projects feasible."
The Government of British Columbia will invest up to $202,300 through the Connecting British Columbia program, administered by Northern Development Initiative Trust. The federal government will invest up to $404,700 through the federal Universal Broadband Fund. Service provider CityWest will contribute approximately $254,000 and the qathet Regional District will contribute approximately $94,500, the release stated.
"Provision of high-speed internet access to skelph will enable our residents and visitors to have reliable and affordable access to high-speed connectivity, supporting our community's growth, prosperity and sustainability," stated Electoral Area C director and regional board chair Clay Brander. "Thanks to provincial and federal funding support, residents and visitors will be able to access to health care, business, tourism and other vital internet-reliant services."
The province’s investment is part of StrongerBC, BC's economic recovery plan, to build the economy with an eye toward inclusive growth for communities throughout the province, the release stated.
In March 2022, the governments of British Columbia and Canada announced a partnership to invest as much as $830 million to support expansion of high-speed internet services to all households in BC by 2027, according to the release. The Connecting Communities BC program provides funding for projects to expand high-speed internet service access to rural and remote areas of the province. The plan to connect all households will level the playing field for British Columbians, ensuring better access to services and economic opportunities for every community, the release stated.
"CityWest specializes in serving rural and remote communities, and we're thrilled to bring improved internet services to even more communities within the qathet Regional District,” stated Stefan Woloszyn, chief executive officer, CityWest. “These last-mile projects are crucial to ensure that all British Columbians have access to internet connectivity, allowing them to participate in the digital world.”
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