Overview
Now more than ever, Ontarians need access to reliable high-speed internet in order to:
- stay in touch with friends and family
- access public services like health care and education
- operate businesses
- work from anywhere in the province
- create jobs and enhance economic growth
Our goal is for everyone in Ontario to have access to reliable high-speed internet and cellular connections at home, work and in our communities.
Investments, projects and initiatives
We are making an investment of nearly $4billion to help connect all Ontarians to high-speed internet by the end of 2025.
We will build on Up to Speed: Ontario’s Broadband and Cellular Action Plan, which is already starting to connect homes and businesses in communities across Ontario.
Expanding access to high-speed internet is part of Ontario Onwards: Ontario’s COVID-19 Action Plan for a People-Focused Government, which includes more than 30projects that will change the way people and businesses interact with government.
We will continue to invest in high-speed internet and cellular initiatives and virtual learning as a funding partner while working closely with the telecommunications sector and other levels of government.
Bringing high-speed internet access to every community in Ontario
New competitive process
We are bringing access to high-speed internet to up to 266,000 unserved and underserved homes and businesses across the province through a new competitive process.
This new, innovative and transparent competitive process, launched in 2021 by Infrastructure Ontario, gave telecommunications and internet service providers the opportunity to bid for provincial funding. We have now signed contracts with eight internet service providers to bring better access to homes and businesses in as many as 339 municipalities across Ontario.
Speeding up construction and removing barriers for high-speed internet projects
Ontario is also helping to speed up construction of high-speed internet projects in communities across the province through the Building Broadband Faster Act, 2021. This legislation will help reduce barriers that can cause delays with building broadband infrastructure in communities and will help provide access to reliable, high-speed internet sooner, while strengthening communities and the economy.
We have also released guidelines and regulations to help provide more certainty for internet service providers, municipalities, local distribution companies (LDCs) and others to deliver high-speed internet projects faster.
Ontario is helping to remove further barriers, duplication and delays, making it easier and faster to build high-speed internet infrastructure through the Getting Ontario Connected Act, 2022. This legislation will help ensure underserved and unserved communities across the province have access to reliable high-speed internet sooner. Bill 93, Getting Ontario Connected Act, 2022 was introduced on March 7,2022 and was passed unanimously by the Legislature on April 11,2022.
These changes remove barriers, duplication and delays, and help ensure every community in Ontario has access to high-speed internet by the end of 2025.
High-speed internet and cellular projects and investments
Learn more about other high-speed internet and cellular projects and investments happening now across Ontario:
Improving Connectivity for Ontario (ICON) program
In 2020, we launched the Improving Connectivity for Ontario (ICON) program. This is a program that aims to improve and expand reliable high-speed internet across Ontario.
In July 2021, Ontario announced an investment of up to $14.7million for 13 new projects under the (ICON) program, which will bring reliable, high-speed internet to 42 communities across the province.
In October 2021, Ontario announced an additional investment of nearly $1.5million to help bring high-speed internet access to four communities, impacting over 900 homes and businesses.
Ontario also announced a partnership with the Government of Canada to support large scale, fibre-based projects that will bring high-speed internet access across Ontario through a joint investment of over $1.2billion from both levels of government. This $3.1billion total investment will help bring reliable, high-speed internet to up to 280,000 more homes and businesses by the end of 2025.
In April2022, Ontario announced an additional joint investment of more than $56million with the Government of Canada for six new projects, which will bring reliable, high-speed internet access to over 6,500 homes and businesses in Northern and Southwestern Ontario, including several First Nation communities.
Brighton Pilot Project
In March2022, Ontario announced a pilot project, led by Hydro One, to help bring high-speed internet access to up to 1,450 homes and businesses in Brighton. Hydro One will use their existing infrastructure — such as hydro poles — to quickly develop high-speed internet networks. This will allow them to work with internet service providers to help provide high-speed internet access to more residents in Brighton.
Eastern Ontario Regional Network (EORN)
Rural communities in Eastern Ontario are closer to getting near-complete cellular coverage.
On March19,2021 EORN announced that Rogers Communications was awarded the contract for EORN’s Cell Gap Project, to improve the coverage and capacity of cell networks in the region.
Rogers will invest over $150million to upgrade and expand the regions’ wireless infrastructure over five years. This investment, along with provincial and federal government commitments of up to $71million each, plus $10million from all members of the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus and most municipalities within the Eastern Ontario Mayors’ Caucus, brings the total value of the public-private partnership to more than $300million.
This project will help rural communities take part in the digital economy, create jobs and improve public safety.
Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT)
We are investing in the Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology project to bring high-speed internet to nearly 58,000 more homes and businesses across Southwestern Ontario.
In total, the project will invest nearly $255million to expand high-speed internet, including funding from federal, provincial and municipal governments.
SWIFT Inc. has awarded contracts to bring high-speed internet to thousands of homes and businesses in:
- the counties of Lambton, Wellington, Norfolk, Dufferin Oxford, Grey, Bruce, Simcoe, Essex, Brant, Middlesex, Perth Elgin and Huron
- the Regional Municipality of Niagara
- the Regional Municipality of Waterloo
- the Town of Caledon
Bringing high-speed internet to the North
We are investing $10.9 million to bring faster broadband to several northern towns and First Nation communities to help bridge the digital divide across Northern Ontario.
Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation
The province is investing in connectivity projects in underserved and unserved areas through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC)’s Broadband and Cellular Expansion Initiative.
For example, NOHFC’s investment in Mishkeegogamang Ojibway First Nation’s project will increase access to high-speed internet for the 600residents living in their community.
These investments in small-scale, community-led high-speed internet projects support economic development and social well-being, helping to build safe, connected communities in every region of Northern Ontario.
Telesat’s Lightspeed project
Ontario is investing $109.2million in Telesat's Lightspeed project, the largest space project ever undertaken in Canada, to help meet the increased demand for digital connectivity at home and across the world.
Our partnership with Telesat, a leading-edge Canadian company, will help support:
- diversifying Ontario's digital infrastructure
- paving the way for future economic growth and good jobs
- enhance Ontario’s competitiveness and innovation in the sector
Matawa project
Ontario has invested $30million in the Matawa project, which will connect five remote Matawa-member First Nation communities to fast and reliable internet service and benefit more than 670homes and institutions, including schools, airports, band offices, health offices and police stations.
The project will improve quality of life and create vibrant communities by connecting families, driving economic growth and expanding access to education and skills training.
Next Generation Network Program
Ontario has committed $63.3million over five years to the Next Generation Network Program, a partnership between the Centre of Excellence in Next Generation Networks (CENGN) and the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE). To date, 11 projects have been launched, including:
- Carling Township (near Parry Sound)
- Migisi Sahgaigan First Nation (near Dryden)
- Iron Bridge (near Sault Ste. Marie)
- Municipality of Magnetawan (Ahmic Harbour)
- Municipality of Temagami
- Dawn-Euphemia Township (close to Sarnia)
- Halton Region
- Township of Alnwick/Haldimand (near Cobourg)
- Holland Marsh
- City of Kenora – Northern Lake Region
- Nipissing First Nation
Projects include bringing high-performance high-speed internet access to 200homes in Parry Sound and Carling Township, and the introduction of high speed, reliable internet services to the communities of Dawn-Euphemia township. More projects are planned in the future.
These innovative projects demonstrate and validate new technology solutions that can be applied in other rural and Northern Ontario communities.
Connecting libraries
Ontario’s public libraries are important parts of our communities. We are investing more than $4.8 million to upgrade internet at public libraries in areas of need.
ENCQOR initiative
Ontario is helping to ensure the province has access to the best next-generation technologies. The province has committed $66.7million over five years to build the world’s first pre-commercial 5G wireless network for open innovation through the Evolution of Networked Services through the Corridor in Quebec and Ontario for Research and Innovation (ENCQOR) initiative.
This will help us develop the 5G applications of the future.
Supporting digital learning
Education Broadband Modernization Program
Ontario’s schools need strong high-speed internet capacity to support a modern education system. Ontario is working to deliver sustainable, modernized networks with improved internet access to students in schools across the province.
With fast, reliable internet, students can access materials, connect with experts and collaborate on projects worldwide.
As of December31,2020, high-speed internet modernization is complete at more than 3,144 schools and is in progress at approximately 1,793 others. By accelerating the delivery of high-speed internet modernization in school boards, the province is currently on track to have access in every school in Ontario by the 2021-2022 school year, including rural and Northern communities.
Learn at home resources
Learn at home provides quick and easy access to some of Ontario’s best online Kindergarten to Grade12 resources, as well as additional high-quality resources from Canada and beyond. These resources support independent learning without the normal facilitation of a teacher.
TVO Learn and TFO’s IDÉLLO, apprendre à la maison support students who are self-screening, quarantining at home. They also support students wishing to build their skills by accessing additional educational resources developed by Ontario certified teachers who are directly aligned to the Grades 1 to 8 Ontario curriculum. These resources can be used on their own, or to support learning activities provided by classroom teachers.
TVO’s Independent Learning Centre (ILC) Open House provides access to 144 Grade9 to12 courses. These ILC resources are not for credit but are designed to provide flexible learning opportunities to help students keep up with their learning or deepen their understanding of a specific subject.
Online learning
Online learning can help students learn to harness technology to their benefit and develop into lifelong learners.
Ontario is committed to modernizing the delivery of online learning courses to increase student access to high-quality public education and position Ontario as a global leader in online learning.
As of July21,2020, changes were made to enable the Ministry of Education to expand the mandates of TVO and TFO to take on a central leadership role in supporting online learning in the publicly-funded school system. This will give secondary students more choice in high-quality online learning courses— no matter where they live or go to school.
Supports for online learning during coronavirus (COVID-19)
The province recognizes that access to technology is more important now than ever as students prepare for a new environment which could include both at home and in-person learning.
Ontario is providing $15million to secure up to 35,000 classroom computers. This new technology will help ensure students who face difficulty accessing technology are able to leverage these tools to succeed in the 2020-21 school year.
As of February2021, we provided an additional $381million, through the federal Safe Return to Class Fund, to keep schools safe from COVID‑19. This includes $80million to support the purchase of additional devices such as laptops and tablets. It is anticipated that this funding will support school boards in procuring about 160,000devices provincewide.
We encourage educators, parents and students to connect with their school boards to find out which resources and services are available in their communities.
Virtual Learning Strategy for postsecondary education
Ontario has undergone an unprecedented shift in the postsecondary sector in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Access to high-quality virtual learning for postsecondary students has become even more critical.
The province’s Virtual Learning Strategy:
- emphasizes the importance of accessible and sustainable growth in virtual learning
- supports Ontario’s efforts to grow our digital footprint
- builds the skilled workforce that will support Ontario’s economy
To support this strategy, Ontario is investing $50million in virtual learning and educational technologies to help expand access to high-quality, market-responsive and globally competitive virtual education.
Contact North
Funded by the province, Contact North helps improve access to virtual learning for Ontarians living in underserved rural, Northern, Indigenous and Francophone communities that lack high-speed internet connectivity or direct physical access to educational or training opportunities.
Contact North’s services are provided at no cost to learners and are available in English and French.
eCampusOntario
eCampusOntario is funded by the Government of Ontario to drive excellence in online and technology-enabled learning in the postsecondary sector. All publicly-assisted colleges and universities and one Indigenous Institute in Ontario are members of this organization. Through collaboration, eCampusOntario builds Ontario’s capacity to deliver high-quality, cost-effective online learning opportunities across the postsecondary system, including by helping to implement Ontario’s Virtual Learning Strategy.
FAQs
How do I get high-speed internet in rural areas Ontario? ›
Satellite internet access is useful in remote and rural areas and newly developed places. In areas where cable internet and DSL are not accessible, satellite internet technology can offer high-speed internet service.
What kind of connection is often required for accessing the internet in rural areas? ›Fixed wireless internet
This type of connection is typically used in rural or remote areas where it is impossible to run traditional wired lines. Fixed wireless typically offers speeds of up to 25 Mbps, although some newer technologies are capable of much higher speeds.
Cable providers don't want to dig trenches.
Cable companies only offer services within urban or suburban areas that have a high population density. In order to bring cable Internet service to rural areas, providers would have to dig trenches to bring the wirelines out to the country.
Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) is a non profit municipally-led broadband expansion project created to improve internet connectivity in underserved communities and rural areas across Southwestern Ontario.
How do I get high-speed Internet in rural areas Canada? ›Telus operates the fastest, largest, and most reliable cellular network in Canada, so it's no surprise it leveraged that technology to provide rural internet service. The company is among the first to offer 5G internet service in the home. It also provides high-speed internet over fibre optic, DSL, and mobile hotspot.
How do rural communities get Internet? ›The best internet service for rural areas is satellite internet from HughesNet or Viasat, but we'd recommend HughesNet for its better prices and lack of prices. Plus, if you need to purchase more data, HughesNet lets you roll it over for as long as it lasts, unlike Viasat.
How do I get high speed Internet in the middle of nowhere? ›Satellite. Satellite internet is the only internet option that's available almost everywhere in the United States. This means that for many people who live in remote areas, satellite might be their only option for internet. Satellite sends you an internet signal via a satellite in Earth orbit.
How can I boost my internet signal in a remote area? ›If you want to boost your cell reception in a remote area, the best solution is a cell phone booster. A cell phone booster takes any amount of signal from a cell tower, no matter how weak, and boosts it. This helps you get better data and call connections in remote areas as long as there is any tower signal at all.
How can I make my internet speed faster in rural areas? ›Fixed wireless broadband internet
In case your rural area doesn't have access to a broadband connection using a router, this is an alternative for you. The internet is delivered to you by radio waves. The internet service providers fix an antenna on your home, mostly on your terrace for better transmission.
Faster internet speeds exist in larger population areas because there are more people in general and more who have the intelligence to use the internet than you find in rural areas.
Why do rural areas need Internet access? ›
Access to high-speed internet is vital for a diverse set of industries, including agricultural production, manufacturing, mining, and forestry and acts as a catalyst for rural prosperity by enabling efficient, modern communications between rural American households, schools, and healthcare centers as well as markets ...
Who owns swift Internet? ›Locally owned and operated, Swift Internet has proudly delivered communications services to Creston and Area for 10 years. We are pleased to announce that on June 30, 2022, we reached an agreement with TELUS to acquire Swift Internet as part of their Mascon by TELUS brand.
What is swift Ontario? ›The South Western Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) initiative is a project to build an ultra high-speed fibre optic Internet network for everyone in Western Ontario and Niagara.
How can I get free Internet in Ontario? ›- Public Libraries - There are hundreds of public libraries across Ontario that offer computers with Internet access, as well as a free Wi-Fi network.
- Service Canada Centers - Most Service Canada Centers provide computers with Internet and free Wi-Fi.
We want all Canadian homes and businesses to have access to broadband Internet speeds of at least 50 Mbps for downloads and 10 Mbps for uploads. While most Canadians today have access to these minimum service levels, many rural and remote regions in Canada lack the infrastructure needed.
Who has the best internet for rural areas? ›- #1 AT&T Internet.
- #1 Verizon Internet.
- #3 Xfinity Internet.
- #4 Cox Internet.
- #5 Spectrum Internet.
- #5 Mediacom Internet.
- #7 Astound Broadband.
- #8 CenturyLink Internet.
One option for getting Wi-Fi anywhere is satellite internet. Much like satellite cable on your TV, this involves sending a signal through a modem to a satellite dish, then to an orbiting satellite. The signal is then bounced back to your dish, your modem, and your connected device.
What is rural connectivity? ›Rural Roads
Road access is the most widespread means of connectivity between rural and urban areas and provides essential access to isolated rural communities who otherwise would have no means of reaching other areas.
Available on your smartphone or tablet, or through a dedicated hotspot device, mobile hotspots let you establish a secure internet connection nearly anywhere and anytime.
How do I connect my laptop to the Internet without WiFi UK? ›
If you do not need an internet connection all day, you can go for a WiFi USB Dongle. A WiFi dongle or Internet stick is a portable device that can be connected to your Laptop, Smartphone, or Tablet to access the internet anywhere using a SIM card via Wireless Provider.
How can I get WiFi in remote areas UK? ›- Fibre broadband delivered by fibre optic cables. ...
- Standard broadband using copper phone wires. ...
- Mobile broadband running on 4G. ...
- Satellite broadband using a satellite dish in your home. ...
- Fixed wireless broadband via a mast and receiver.
Hotspot: A hotspot is a physical location where people can access the Internet, typically using Wi-Fi, via a wireless local area network (WLAN) with a router connected to an Internet service provider.
Can you get internet without a provider? ›There are several ways to get a Wi-Fi internet connection without using an internet provider: Using free public Wi-Fi spots. Paying for hourly Wi-Fi at hotspots.
What is the difference between internet and WiFi? ›Comparison between WiFi and Internet
WiFi is a wireless network to connect nearby devices with each other and share the Internet via hotspots. Internet is a global network of networks where computers communicate with each other via Internet Protocol.
All you need to do is wrap a piece of copper wire, chop a 3.5mm RCA jack, tape one end to the wire in the foil, and connect the end with a jack to your phone to boost the signal. It's simple to make and highly portable, meaning you can bring it on your camping trips.
What is the best router for rural areas? ›- Best overall: TP-Link Archer AX90.
- Best for budgets: TP-Link Archer A10.
- Best for gamers: NETGEAR Nighthawk RAX200.
- Best for Wi-Fi 5: ASUS RT-AC88U.
- Best for mesh: Amazon Eero Pro 6.
Range extenders (also known as a WiFi booster) are wireless tools that connect to the router to extend the WiFi range. For optimal results, they are placed in a location where its close enough to the router to get a good signal, but far enough away that it can cover the areas that have little to no signal.
How do I create a WIFI zone in village? ›The Best How To WiFi Video: Create your own WiFi Base Station!
How much does Starlink internet cost? ›In the US, you can get Starlink service beginning at $110 per month with a one-time hardware cost of $599. There are no long-term contracts, data caps or exclusivity requirements. Starlink Business is available for remote and rural businesses across the globe for $500 per month with a one-time hardware cost of $2,500.
Is Satellite Internet considered high speed? ›
Satellite internet is one of the slowest high-speed internet services available. While it can get to fixed broadband internet speeds (classified by the FCC as 25 Mbps or higher), it can't reach the speeds cable and fiber optic can.
Does population affect internet speed? ›The mobile network capacity is shared between all the users in the area using the same network. During certain hours, there are many users, which causes the connection speed to slow down.
What city has the best internet in the world? ›Singapore – 241.1 mb/s
The highly advanced city-state of Singapore does many things well (including banking and general economic freedom) and fast internet speeds are among them. Singapore tops the list of the world's fastest peak internet speed (the top speed accessible to internet users) at 241.1 mb/s.
| Mean average speed rank | Metro | Median download speed (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | 72.1 |
| 2 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 73.9 |
| 3 | San Francisco, California | 67.4 |
| 4 | New York City, New York | 72.5 |
Technology for rural areas must be aimed at creating gainful employment, recycling wastes to create value-added products, human welfare through better housing, drinking water, sanitation, elimination of drudgery, promotion of non-conventional energy and decentralised techno-economic systems, particularly for remote ...
Why is it important to bridge the digital divide? ›Proponents for bridging the digital divide include those who argue it would improve digital literacy, digital skills democracy, social mobility, economic equality and economic growth.
Why do people live in rural areas? ›A more relaxed pace of life
Not only are rural neighbourhoods quieter and more picturesque, but they're also known for being safer, with less crime, pollution, litter and traffic.
What could be contributing to the connectivity issues encountered by the rural customers? The cell towers in the rural areas are not large enough to support mmWave. The rural areas do not have enough cell locations to support mmWave. The connection density in the rural areas is too high, causing reduced bandwidth.
Does rural India have internet? ›In 2020, rural India had 299 million internet users with an internet penetration of 31%, which grew to 37% in 2021. Similarly, urban India had 323 million internet users in India, but the internet penetration remained between 66% and 69% since 2019.
What is broadband infrastructure? ›Related Definitions
Broadband infrastructure means networks of deployed telecommunications equipment and technologies necessary to provide high-speed Internet access and other advanced telecommunications services for end users.
Which Internet connection option does not require that physical cables be run to the building? ›
Satellite connectivity is often used wherephysical cabling is not available outside the home or business.
Why do rural areas need internet access? ›Building stronger communities
Fixed high-speed internet has the power to strengthen smaller more remote rural communities by better connecting them with the global economy, as well as with resources and people that would otherwise be out of reach.
Although traditional wireless networking technologies have already provided communication services in urban areas, they cannot satisfy the communication demands in the rural environment very well. Therefore, two new technologies—WiMAX and VANET— are proposed to solve the problems.
Which factor can be hindered the efficiency in rural areas which should come due to internet technology? ›Low population density, geographical barriers, and large distances constitute challenges that are hard to overcome with current technologies in a cost-efficient manner. Specifically, one major factor that hinders conventional 4G network coverage in remote areas is the usage of licensed bands.
What do Indians use the Internet for? ›Social media, entertainment and communications are the top three activites in which internet users are engaged across India. Under communications, text and email is the most popular usage by the users, while the survey also suggests that the use of voice and Indic languages will be the key drivers of growth in future.
Which state in India uses more internet? ›| # | States and UTs | Men User (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andaman & Nicobar | 46.5 |
| 2 | Andhra Pradesh | 48.8 |
| 3 | Arunachal | 71.6 |
| 4 | Assam | 42.3 |
Wi-Fi is wireless connectivity that uses radio waves to provide an internet connection. Broadband is open connectivity in which a high-speed internet connection is always available.
What's the difference between broadband and internet? ›In a nutshell…
The internet is a huge network of websites and information that spans the entire world. Broadband allows you to access all of this information from your own home via a router. An ethernet cable can be used to connect your computer to your router, giving you fast internet access.
The broadband connection is fast speed internet, but the speed is slower when it is compared to a fibre connection. The fibre broadband connection is very fast speed internet as it uses optical fibre for transmission of data. The fibre broadband is faster than broadband connection.
Which device is used to connect a network to the Internet? ›The primary piece of hardware you need is a modem. The type of Internet access you choose will determine the type of modem you need. Dial-up access uses a telephone modem, DSL service uses a DSL modem, cable access uses a cable modem, and satellite service uses a satellite adapter.
Can you use 2 routers one broadband connection? ›
In short, yes! It is possible to use more than one router on the same home network, but you do need to be wary about the way you do this. Below, you'll be able to find guidance on how to use multiple routers, as well as the benefits you'll expect to find when doing so.