{"id":6759,"date":"2021-12-17T08:00:29","date_gmt":"2021-12-17T13:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cdem.com\/?post_type=publications&p=6759"},"modified":"2021-12-16T11:38:12","modified_gmt":"2021-12-16T16:38:12","slug":"2021-a-year-of-progress-for-rural-connectivity","status":"publish","type":"publications","link":"https:\/\/www.cdem.com\/en\/publications\/2021-a-year-of-progress-for-rural-connectivity\/","title":{"rendered":"2021: A YEAR OF PROGRESS FOR RURAL CONNECTIVITY"},"content":{"rendered":"

Winnipeg, December 17, 2021<\/em> \u2013 <\/strong>As part of a bilingual municipal leadership reception organized by the AMBM which took place last night at the Inn at the Forks Hotel, the AMBM, CDEM and Valley Fiber presented the progress of their collaboration by sharing the impressive results of the year 2021. This past year, they worked together on investment opportunities at the federal level for the construction of fiber optic infrastructure and deployment of connectivity in bilingual rural municipalities.<\/p>\n

Thanks to Valley Fiber’s connectivity technology, CDEM\u2019s facilitation of partnerships with municipalities and AMBM\u2019s leadership, eight municipalities have signed a connectivity agreement and three others have shown interest, which results in a direct investment of over $100M in infrastructure in Manitoba’s bilingual municipalities.<\/p>\n

In addition to accelerating the connection of bilingual rural communities, these partnerships also represent many job opportunities within the municipalities, thanks to the hiring of a variety of professionals, including sales and tech support staff, home installers and technicians, not to mention the hiring of local electrical and construction contractors.<\/p>\n

Valley Fiber\u2019s Senior Vice President Conley Kehler shares that the company works closely with communities to offer local content: \u201cWe want to be viewed as part of the fabric of each community by creating local hotspots and providing avenues for non-profits and local government to communicate with their residents.\u201d He also recognizes that connectivity is a critical economic issue, especially during a pandemic, adding that connectivity “allows for business retention, growth, and improves work from home opportunities.”<\/p>\n

These major investments are perfectly aligned with AMBM\u2019s Municipal Economic Recovery Strategy<\/a>. According to the AMBM\u2019s strategy, investments in digital infrastructure will strengthen our communities\u2019 social fabric, attract new investments, and take full advantage of opportunities arising from the digital era.<\/p>\n

CDEM, AMBM, and Valley Fiber hope to announce other investments in the future in order to continue to make Manitoba\u2019s bilingual municipalities more resilient and prosperous in the context of economic recovery.<\/p>\n

About CDEM<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Since 1996, the Economic Development Council for Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities (CDEM) has been the driving force behind economic development in 15 bilingual communities of Manitoba. We work in the following sectors: business services, community economic development, employability and immigration, youth, and tourism.<\/p>\n

About AMBM<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Since 1989, the AMBM has served as the voice for bilingual municipal governments in Manitoba. The AMBM\u2019s bilingual municipalities regroup official language minority communities, where the use of French is recognized as an added value, both economically and culturally.<\/p>\n

About Valley Fiber<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Valley Fiber Limited is a Manitoba owned and operated technology firm. The ever-growing need for fast and reliable telecommunications has spurred on innovation. Since 2017, Valley Fiber has been working on bringing its next-generation dedicated fiber optic infrastructure design to the region. On December 9, PC Gaming Magazine recognized Valley Fiber is the best gaming ISP in Canada.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For more information, please contact\u00a0:<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Erwan Bouchaud, director of community economic development (CED) and tourism
\nEconomic Development Council for Manitoba Bilingual Municipalities (CDEM)<\/strong>
\n(204) 230-1833
\nebouchaud@cdem.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Justin Johnson, chef de la direction
\nAssociation des municipalit\u00e9s bilingues du Manitoba (AMBM)
\n<\/strong>(204) 289-4077
\njustin@ambm.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Conley Kehler, Senior Vice President
\nValley Fiber Limited<\/strong>
\n(800) 958-5698
\nconley@valleyfiber.ca<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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