Project helping businesses connect to high-speed internet

A project is looking to boost high-speed internet access for businesses in remote areas.

NEOnet, with help from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC), has announced the Broadband Internet for Remote Areas (BIRA) project.

Small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) in Northern Ontario can access grants to help buy and install specialized equipment to provide two-way, high-speed internet services.

"Traditional connectivity may not be available to many SMEs that are farther from the typical Internet Service Providers (ISP) area of coverage. This program will assist participating SMEs to achieve the minimum service level of 25 Mbps, many SMEs are unable to utilize this technology because they lack the expertise or capital and it is preventing them from growing their business. Eligible applicants for the BIRA project may receive a reimbursement of up to 50 per cent to a maximum of $1,500," reads the news release.

The deadline to apply and finish the projects is November 2022.

More information on the program and how to apply is available here.