Improving Connectivity in Ontario (ICON)
The Province of Ontario has committed $300 million over four years to help improve and expand broadband and cellular infrastructure. Reliable internet and cellular access are more important now than ever, and Ontario is looking to improve the connectivity of underserved areas.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, reliable internet access has become a necessity for many Canadians to work and stay connected.
The objectives of the Improving Connectivity in Ontario (ICON) program are to:
- Increase the number of households connected to broadband and cellular services
- Achieve connectivity speeds of 50/10 for end users
- Provide LTE cellular access to unserved and underserved areas
- Build scalable infrastructure for future needs of users
The January 8, 2021 deadline to apply for this program is quickly approaching.
Funding Snapshot: Improving Connectivity for Ontario
Amount of Funding:
- Up to 25% of funding for total eligible project costs
- Eligible project costs cannot be incurred until approval
Eligible Applicants:
Collaborative projects with evidence of local support strongly encouraged.
- Non-profit and for-profit entities that are incorporated in Canada
- Municipal entities
- Band Councils
Eligible Projects:
Must deliver minimum speeds of 50/10.
- Last-mile: The final leg in connecting homes, businesses, and other institutions to a highspeed network connection.
- Backbone: New Backbone infrastructure and upgrades to existing Backbone infrastructure are both eligible.
- Cellular: Mobile connectivity and/or LTE to communities and/or along Major Transportation Roads.
- Satellite: Provides or upgrades broadband services in communities that are satellite dependent.
Apply for Improving Connectivity in Ontario (ICON)
If you are interested in applying for a grant through the Improving Connectivity in Ontario (ICON) program, the Mentor Works team of government grant application writers have an 86% approval rating across all government funding programs.
Get the ball rolling on your application and gain an estimated 95% time savings compared to businesses that write their applications in-house.
