An investment of over $80M by the Provincial and Federal governments means that dozens of rural towns and remote Manitoba First Nations will soon have faster internet.

The announcement was made in Winnipeg this morning by federal Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains that the Government plans to improve high-speed access in 112 remote Manitoba communities.

Bains said that access to high-speed internet is not a luxury, but rather something that is essential.

Of the $83.9M invested in the project, $20M is coming from the Province.

Premier Brian Pallister said that developing the potential of the north, where most of the communities and First Nations are located, is a priority of the government. He added that to do that they need the tools to maximize opportunities.

48 of the 112 communities set to receive improvements are First Nations, 21 of which don’t have year-round road access.