April 8, 2010
RURAL, REMOTE BRITISH COLUMBIANS GET CONNECTED

PRINCE GEORGE – Residents who live in Shelly and Shelly-Glen will soon have the world at their fingertips with nearly $100,000 in provincial funding to expand broadband connectivity.

“Living in rural communities in the North is a great way to live, but it should not prevent people from having a fast, reliable connection with the rest of the world,” says Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond. “This funding will ensure that people can access online services no matter where they live. We live in a highly connected world and I am a strong supporter of this type of investment for rural and Northern communities.”

ABC Allen Business Communications Ltd has received $50,000 for Shelly and $47,042 for Shelly-Glen to provide broadband services.  Applications from all areas of the province have been reviewed and evaluated, completing the second year of the multi-year funding program. Grants totaling $1.3 million will support 30 projects to be completed over the next year. Under Network BC, infrastructure grants were made available to eligible applicants where the ability to expand Internet high-speed service to unconnected areas was demonstrated.

The Connecting Citizens Grant Program was announced by Premier Gordon Campbell at the annual Union of B.C. Municipalities Convention in September 2008. The program is a $5.2 million, multi-year grant program that provides up to $50,000 per project.

"We are delighted with today's funding announcement," said Bob Allen of ABC Communications, Northern B.C.'s largest provider of integrated telecommunications products and services. "The work we did last year to expand broadband network infrastructure into areas such as Beaverdell, Nukko Lake, Kettle Valley, McLeese Lake and Nazko could not have been achieved without the support of Network BC."

As part of the Ministry of Citizens’ Services, Network BC’s collaborative leadership model has gained international recognition. Network BC was named Laureate of the international Computerworld Honours Program for innovation and has been recognized by the Premier’s Innovation and Excellence Awards annually since 2006 for its collaborative partnerships to support connectivity in rural and remote areas.

For more info from Shirley, and news for Prince George, visit www.shirleybondmla.bc.ca

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