Council wants Province to reconsider Internet funding

The Municipality of Pictou County has written to the provincial government asking if Develop Nova Scotia will reconsider supporting its rural broadband project.

MOPC Warden Robert Parker said he penned a letter to Premier Tim Houston expressing the municipality’s disappointment that it did not receive any funding from the department in the past for its rural broadband project, but it is hoping this will change in the future.

He said the letter was sent in response to a recent auditor general’s report that criticized Develop Nova Scotia’s handling of funds handed out to telecommunication companies to improve internet services with no accountability of how the money is spent.

“I have not heard anything back, but I have talked to a few MLAs,” he said. “There has been no progress in terms of seeing any money.”

The Municipality of Pictou County (MOPC) has been awarded $4.46 million from the Federal Government’s Universal Broadband Fund Rapid Response Program for the deployment of a broadband network to rural areas.

The Municipality of Pictou County has begun construction on its $50 million rural internet project that includes both wireless and fibre services to cover 100 percent of the county.   The MOPC will build infrastructure and lease it to internet service providers so it will get a financial return.  It expects to have the project paid off in 20 years.   Information about the project can be found at www.ruralnet.munpict.ca