The Funds

$35.8M is earmarked for connectivity infrastructure while $5M is earmarked for capacity building.

1. Connectivity Fund - $35.8M

The Connectivity Fund will be used to finance the two major phases of providing Internet connectivity: transport and last mile.

Transport is the design and construction of the infrastructure required to transport broadband signals to a community. A number of technologies for accomplishing this are possible including the use of phone lines, cable, fibre optic cable and satellite.

Last Mile refers to the distribution of broadband within a community to the end users, i.e.  individual homes and businesses. As a general rule the function of distributing broadband within a community (or group of communities) is performed by private businesses called Internet service providers (ISPs).

2. Capacity Building Fund - $5M

The Capacity Building Fund will support initiatives which focus on digital literacy and technical skills development. The purpose of this fund is to build capacity, within those communities which are being connected, to use the technology and maintain the systems. This will enable communities to derive optimum benefits from the technology.