The Government of Ontario announced that it qualified two bidders for its Accelerated High-Speed Internet Program, which will launch by the end of 2025.
The Ontario Government confirmed that both SpaceX and Xplore met the requirements to bid on the process. They did not announce if other companies put in bids that did not meet the requirements. (via Mobile Syrup)
The next step in the process is for SpaceX and Xplore to provide Infrastructure Ontario with a detailed proposal on how they can meet the needs of the program.
There is no strict timeline for the program, but Infrastructure Ontario noted it will announce the successful bidder in the Summer of 2024. The program has $4 billion of funding and aims to deliver the internet service by the end of 2025.
The Accelerated High-Speed Internet Program will provide over 40,000 homes and businesses in rural Ontario with high-speed internet access. Per the program, the company chosen will need to provide download speeds of up to 50 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 10 Mbps.
