GABRIOLA ISLAND – New Democrat MLA Doug Routley says that soon more people and businesses on Gabriola Island will be able to enjoy high-speed internet, as construction begins to lay subsea fibre optic cable around Vancouver Island. The project is part of the government’s plan to connect every household in B.C., including rural, remote and Indigenous communities, with high-speed internet by 2027.

“This is great news for people and businesses on Gabriola, who have been long waiting for high-speed internet access,” said Doug Routley, MLA for Nanaimo-North Cowichan. “Rural communities deserve the same digital opportunities, whether economic, education, health, or safety, as urban areas and I am so glad our government is investing in this.”

On Gabriola Island, construction on the project began this week.

This is one of 26 landing sites where the cable comes ashore. Currently, many residents living along the West Coast of BC and around Vancouver Island, do not have access to reliable and affordable internet. Connected Coast will provide the necessary infrastructure for Internet Service Providers to connect businesses and households with world-class internet connections that will allow more opportunities for work, education, and connecting virtually with friends and family.

The $45.4 million Connected Coast project will run 3,400 kilometres of subsea fibre-optic cable along the coast of B.C., providing the necessary infrastructure to connect thousands of people and businesses in approximately 139 rural and remote coastal communities, including 48 Indigenous communities, with high-speed internet.

Learn more: https://connectedcoast.ca/subsea-fibre-optic-cable-laying-begins-in-the-strait-of-georgia/