98% Of Canadians To Be Provided With High-Speed Internet By 2026

The Canadian government has announced it will provide nearly all of its citizens with high-speed internet within the next six years.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a press conference that the government was officially on track to connect 98 per cent of Canadians to high-speed internet by 2026. It’s a step up from the 95% benchmark set by the initial plan, with Trudeau adding that the remaining 2% will be linked up by 2030.

Trudeau acknowledged the scale of the plan, telling reporters ‘these are ambitious targets and we’re ready to meet them’.

Despite being one of the most developed countries in the world, Canada’s internet service has often lagged behind – perhaps not surprisingly given the sheer size of the country. According to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, only 40.8% of Canadian households have access to broadband download speeds of more than 50 megabits.

Separate to the universal broadband fund, Trudeau also announced a $600 million package aimed at developing a satellite network to improve broadband services in the rural north of the country.

The ongoing pandemic has meant people all over the world have become increasingly reliant on internet services for both their work and personal lives, and while – fingers crossed – we probably won’t all still be stuck at home in 2026, Trudeau says the impact of the pandemic has made the new upgrade programme even more vital.

He said:

Good reliable internet isn’t a luxury. It’s a basic service.

Now more than ever, a video chat cutting out during a meeting or a connection that’s too slow to upload a school assignment — that’s not just a hassle, that’s a barrier.

2026 might seem a long time to wait, but it won’t be that long for everyone; the first communities to get the upgrade could be browsing Netflix with high-speed internet as early as next year.