Thank you, Ms. Prudham.
Over the past five years, Xplornet has invested more than $1.5 billion in its facilities and network to expand its coverage while increasing the speed and amount of data available to its customers.
Last year, we announced an additional $500-million investment to bring 5G and hybrid fibre to rural Canadians.
In 2019, Xplornet launched an unlimited data offer to all its customers. This unprecedented decision made unlimited data available to rural Internet users in all provinces and territories in Canada. We also began doubling download speeds to 50 megabits per second across Canada. Over the next three years, Xplornet will bring download speeds of 100 megabits per second and unlimited data to 1.5 million households that were previously unserved in rural areas. All of this will be funded by private capital.
Thanks to innovation and private investment, Xplornet will, with a strong lead, surpass the Government of Canada's goal of providing broadband connectivity by 2030.
To enable these advances, we are using the same technologies that are currently deployed in major Canadian cities—fibre and advanced 5G wireless technology—to enable rural Canadians to access the same speeds and amount of data as those in urban areas. With these advances, Xplornet is focusing all its efforts on bridging the digital divide between regions.
We recognize that the Government of Canada has a role to play in providing targeted funding to accelerate the construction of services. These public investments are helping to accelerate and enhance our planned deployments. In addition, we look forward to the launch of the universal broadband fund program.
In the Quinte region of eastern Ontario, Xplornet is connecting more than 40,000 households to the hybrid fibre wireless network, which will provide access to speeds of 100 megabits per second for rural residents. This project is supported by the connect to innovate program, and we look forward to new projects under this program in Prescott-Russell and Northumberland Counties in the near future.
Xplornet is also working with the support of Infrastructure Canada to install hybrid wireless fibre networks in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.
Finally, the deployment of broadband projects in rural areas should not be delayed due to bureaucratic procedures.
Thank you very much, Madam Chair.