By the time the program is finished in 2012 we estimate that less than 0.5% of Canadians will actually lack access to basic broadband, which is at 1.5 megabits per second. Those households are scattered across Canada in very low-density areas, and in some cases very remote areas.
On the next steps, the Minister of Industry launched a federal-provincial-territorial discussion last January. The provinces and territories are looking at trying to get a better understanding of where the gaps in broadband will exist going forward. That may pave the way for a future discussion on needs.
The private sector continues to invest in broadband networks, in particular mobile broadband networks. In some instances these networks provide viable alternatives where other types of broadband don't exist. A number of provinces continue to invest. You may be aware that the Province of Quebec announced $900 million in investments for broadband in that province. The Province of B.C. recently announced a $1 billion deal with Telus to expand broadband cellular and broadband services in that province. Alberta and other provinces are doing the same thing.
In the area of broadband connectivity there's a dynamic atmosphere. There's still a lot of investment going on, and we will want to target any future investment in areas where gaps remain.