Thanks for the question.
I believe telecommunications services in remote areas are extremely important in Canada. That is why, as you know, new, very advanced applications are able to provide what the Internet provides: tele-health, tele-learning, delivery of government services, and e-business. All those services require access to broadband. The rural areas need to be well served.
So, it is important to improve Internet access for First Nations and rural communities in Canada. The idea is not to deploy broadband service in remote communities. The idea is to provide health and educational services and enhance economic opportunities because, as you know, broadband service makes all of that possible in these communities.
At the present time, our government has taken a number of initiatives to allow rural areas to benefit from broadband service. As you know, we have implemented a broadband service pilot project. The focus was rural development. This began a few years ago with the aim of helping communities that don't have access to broadband service and allowing the private sector to play a complementary role.
Although this is a pilot project that was only developed recently, the government has also set up additional programs. Government organizations launched the National Satellite Initiative so that satellite use in communities in the Mid- and Far North, as well as remote areas of Canada, would be affordable for broadband service providers.
Among the other initiatives we have taken, I would just like to mention the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund and the Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund. Those funds provide funding to eligible broadband service project developers.
We want rural communities to have the benefit of quality broadband services and access to the Internet at an affordable price. That's why we are reviewing all possible options in order to ensure that the Government of Canada can continue to play its role, as part of the effort to bring these services to Canadian communities that currently do not have access to broadband services.