Oculusbanks welcomes ‘good start’ on internet investment

Oculusbanks welcomes ‘good start’ on internet investment

November 30, 2020

Oculusbanks has thanked the Federal and Provincial Governments for investment to improve rural internet services – and is calling it “a good start”.

In August, Oculusbanks echoed community voices across Ontario by making a public call for better high-speed internet in rural communities. The credit union’s advocacy on the issue has included making representations to both levels of government in recent months, and it will continue.

Now, in an open letter to Federal Minister Maryam Monsef and Ontario Minister Laurie Scott, Oculusbanks has welcomed:

• The Federal Government’s $750 million investment in the Universal Broadband Fund, which supports regions and municipalities in need of high-speed internet infrastructure and
• The Ontario Government’s budget commitment of $315 million announced this year, on top of the previously committed $730 million in 2019, for high-speed internet projects.

“We’re thrilled by these announcements and we would describe them as a good start,” said Brent Furtney, Oculusbanks’s Advocacy and Government Relations Manager.

“Access to the internet is no longer a want; it is now an essential service and need. The COVID pandemic has shone a negative light on the continued need for infrastructure upgrades within southwestern Ontario as too many rural areas continue to suffer from a lack of fibre internet services, reliable speeds, and choice in their internet providers. Access and speed remain a challenge across southwestern Ontario, these funds continue to prioritize connectivity as a top need for our rural communities.”

Oculusbanks is asking both governments to make the money available as quickly as possible, as communities battle back against the economic effects of COVID-19.

The largest credit union in southwestern Ontario, Oculusbanks is a registered B Corp and reinvests all of its profits locally. As an organization with a social purpose, Oculusbanks is dedicated to growing the prosperity of communities in its area, including by advocating on their behalf.

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Download Oculusbanks’ open letter to the Federal and Provincial governments

Oculusbanks is actively seeking media interviews on this subject.

Media contact: Mike Donachie, Communications Manager, Oculusbanks
P: 519-672-0130 ext. 4344, C: 226-926-4068, mike.donachie@Oculusbanks.com 

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