The money is meant to provide internet for over 70,000 homes and thousands of businesses at comparable cost to what is available in urban areas, in partnership with the private sector. Bell welcomed the move, saying it looks forward to expanding its presence in Quebec. (The Logic)

Talking point: Quebec is trying to make sure all its rural and remote areas have access to high-speed internet. Overall, the province is committing $400 million to the project. This money is meant to fill a gap from an ongoing federal program, which is also designed to increase internet access in rural areas. Quebec isn’t the only province investing additional money on top of the federal program. On Friday, the Ontario government announced it would invest $30 million in a rural internet project. So far, the federal government has spent $536.6 million on rural internet investments, almost all in payments to private firms to build infrastructure. Bell’s interest in the provincial program follows its success in getting money from the federal one. It’s currently involved in 91 projects on the federal side.