Internet continues to change the way the world works, but broadband technology still remains inaccessible to some Muskoka residents.

Thousands of local residents do not have access to broadband, also known as high-speed Internet, said Rob McPhee, executive director of Muskoka Community Network (MCN).

Through a new provincial program, called Rural Connection 2, southern rural municipalities can apply for funding to improve broadband coverage.

The program announcement was in June, but the next application is due Feb. 12.

In advance of that deadline, MCN is letting local municipalities know about the program through delegations to area town councils and/or providing information to town CAOs, said McPhee.

Better Internet connections can equate to a better economy, according to McPhee.

“Research is very clear that places that have strong broadband infrastructure have strong economies,” he said.

This is because people want to move into areas with high-speed Internet.

People have home offices, their kids can get better access to education and there is better access to health-care resources with Internet, said McPhee.

“People who are on dial-up are disadvantaged in our economy today. Not just economically but in the whole social realm of life,” he said.

MCN, a non-profit organization, advocates for increased broadband infrastructure.

“That is our mandate, to assist the people of Muskoka to get the best technology in the area,” said McPhee.

With funding from FedNor, MCN is working on bringing high-speed Internet to many areas in Muskoka, but there is still a lot of work to be done in the area.

“We have made significant improvements over the last couple of years, but there are still pockets of people who don’t have high-speed access,” said McPhee.

MCN heard about the Rural Connections 2 program, which is only available to municipalities, and wanted to make municipalities aware of the funding program.

“We think that broadband infrastructure is, obviously, a benefit to area residents,” said McPhee.

Under the Rural Connections 2 program, the Ontario government will invest up to one-third of the total eligible costs for projects. The municipality is responsible for securing the remaining share.

The maximum funding for one project is $1 million.

The program defines broadband as a high-capacity link between end users and access network suppliers at a minimum download speed of 1.5 megabits per second.

The government of Ontario is committing $30 million over four years to bring broadband access to unserved areas of rural southern Ontario.

The Rural Connections Broadband Program (Rural Connections) is a four-year program designed to reduce broadband infrastructure gaps in rural southern Ontario.