VANCOUVER—Rural, remote and Indigenous communities may soon have access to high-speed internet with a new source of funding from the provincial government.

The $16 million in available funding will go toward the Northern Development Initiative Trust’s Connecting British Columbia program, where community organizations and internet service providers can apply for grants to help build internet infrastructure.

“We want to make sure that internet service providers, community organizations and First Nations and Indigenous communities have access to funding that will deliver better internet to the people and businesses that need it the most,” said Jinny Sims, Minister of Citizens’ Services in a statement.

The program began in July, when applications began to be were accepted for projects that can deliver “last-mile” connections to remote areas, also known as infrastructure that enables individual homes and businesses to connect to a larger network. Starting in September, the funding will also be made available projects that can deliver transport fibre lines, enabling whole regions to connect to the internet.

The program was created after First Nations identified the high cost of infrastructure as one of the main barriers to expanding internet services in smaller communities around British Columbia.

In a previous statement, Chief Dominic Frederick of Lheidli T’enneh First Nation said that the funding will help provide economic opportunity to all First Nations communities.

“This will be a great opportunity for Lheidli T’enneh to partner up with the Province of British Columbia and Northern Development Trust to ensure that our community has an opportunity to improve and expand our internet connectivity. Further, this announcement will see the inclusion of all First Nations communities being able to participate and be a part of the web-based global economy.”

The $16 million funded by this project is part of a larger $40-million provincial commitment to the Connecting British Columbia program.

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