QUALICUM BEACH – New Democrat MLA Adam Walker says that soon more people and businesses in Qualicum Beach and Nanoose Bay 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.

“High-speed internet is essential to daily life in our increasingly digitized world, and people need access to it to participate and thrive in today’s economy,” said Adam Walker, MLA for Parksville-Qualicum. “I’m excited for more people and businesses along the Salish Sea to benefit from the range of opportunities unlocked through high-speed connectivity in this region.”

In Qualicum Beach and Nanoose Bay, construction on the project began this week.

These are two 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/