Five years ago, Andrea Braithwaite left Oshawa and moved just outside of Port Perry. The move went well, but once she was almost settled, an unexpected problem arose: she could not find an internet service provider.
She tried contacting major providers like Rogers and Bell but was told neither serviced the area. “I called Rogers, and they’re like, ‘Oh, yeah, we don’t service there.’ I called Bell, and they’re like, ‘Oh, no, we don’t service there,’” she recalled.
Frustrated, she realized that reliable internet access wasn’t guaranteed in rural Ontario. For Braithwaite, internet access was more than just a convenience—it was necessary for her work as a professor. “It’s not just, ‘Oh, no, people can’t get on Facebook or watch Netflix.’ You can’t access educational services,” she said.
Not wanting to go the satellite route, she kept searching until she found an East Coast-based provider, Eastlink.
Though this situation isn’t perfect, Braithwaite says it works for her, adding that this is her only option for getting internet access at home.
Braithwaite’s story is not unique. Many rural residents face the same challenge, making internet access a widespread issue in Ontario.
According to the Ontario government, 81 per cent of municipalities are classified as rural, including all towns, municipalities and Indigenous communities outside large urban centres.
The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the internet’s role as a necessity for remote work, online learning and maintaining social connections.
Businesses, schools and health care services rely on stable broadband access. Yet, large portions of Ontario still lack high-speed internet.
Durham Regional Chair John Henry compared modern internet access to the role of the railroad in Canada’s early development.
“You know, 155 years ago a railroad was connectivity in Canada,” he said “Today, the railroad of our day is high-speed internet.”
This issue extends into Durham Region, where much of northern Durham is classified as rural.
Henry made bringing high-speed internet access to the rural parts of the region a key priority when he got elected as regional chair in 2018.
“When I first got elected, one of my promises was to bring high-speed fibre into communities that were underserved,” he said.
Efforts began in 2019 when Durham Region introduced its broadband strategy, Connecting Our Communities, which laid the foundation for improving connectivity in underserved areas.
Durham OneNet, an independent municipal services corporation owned by the Regional Municipality of Durham, was created in 2022 to execute the broadband strategy.
OneNet is building the backbone of a fibre-optic network across the region, which will make broadband access more reliable for residents and businesses. The vision is a 700–kilometre network that connects communities in Durham. In April 2022, they partnered with Vianet, a service provider, to help bring this vision to life.
OneNet’s first project was the Uxbridge-Pickering backbone link, which took just under a year to complete, finishing in May 2022.
After that, they started on Project Genesis, which aimed to bring high-speed internet to approximately 1,400 rural residents and businesses in Durham. It was completed ahead of schedule in January 2025, ultimately reaching over 1,800 people.
Durham’s efforts align with a broader push across Ontario to eliminate the digital divide. The provincial government committed $4 billion to ensure that all Ontarians have access to high-speed internet by the end of 2025.
While progress has been made, many areas remain underserved. Infrastructure challenges, costs and logistical hurdles mean that more investment and strategic planning are still required.
Durham Region, working with Durham OneNet, is already planning its next steps. With the success of its early projects, OneNet is looking to reinvest its profits into further broadband expansion.
“We’re generating a profit,” Henry said. “So, we’re now able to look at what we’re doing, and that profit can be reinvested into the community.”
By continuing to expand its fibre-optic network, Durham OneNet hopes to bring reliable internet access to even more rural residents and businesses, ensuring that no one is left behind.
For people like Braithwaite, these developments offer hope. “I am pleased to know that more of this is happening.”
While she has found a workable solution, many others are still struggling with limited options.
As Ontario moves toward universal internet access, stories like hers serve as a reminder that high-speed internet is more than a convenience—it’s a necessity for education, work and daily life.