The Government of Canada has provided four rural Manitoba communities with funding to connect to high-speed internet through Starlink.
The 1,162 rural homes are located in St. Laurent, Twin Lakes Beach, Laurentia Beach and Oak Point. The government is making a $1.04 million investment through the Universal Broadband Fund (UBF).
Members of these communities have already made initial payments for connecting to Starlink’s network. The funding will allow the Municipality of St. Laurent to reimburse residents, a press release from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada said.
“The funding provided will boost our communities in terms of economic development, helping to foster growth by attracting businesses and retaining our youth and student populations,” Cheryl Smith, the reeve of St. Laurent, said.
“Until now, internet service for our residents has been poor to non-existent. For our communities, this is truly a game-changer.”
This week, this is the second government body to announce they’re utilizing Starlink’s services. The Government of Quebec also solicited the company’s services to bring internet access to 10,000 underserved homes in the province.
You can view a map of all projects funded through UBF here.
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