Ontario government renews financial support for Cisco’s remote education platform, Connected North>
– Nida Zafar
The Ontario Government announced on Wednesday that it has renewed its financial support for Cisco Canada’s Connected North program.
The program focuses on providing technology solutions to First Nation communities across Ontario in an effort to assist with remote schooling and healthcare initiatives.
The renewed support comes from Canada’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) program, and is being granted in the form of a $1.7 million grant.
This will help support the Connected North project for another year.
Cisco Canada President Rola Dagher said in a statement that the province’s renewed commitment shows its “recognition of the importance of establishing the foundation of a technology-enabled future for First Nations in Ontario.”
“The renewal of the program will allow us to expand the potential of Connected North to more communities in Ontario and to continue to address access inequality and identify innovative ways to educate, provide healthcare, and create opportunity where it didn’t exist before,” she said in the statement.
The Connected North program was established last year and leveraged $3 million in financial support from the Government of Ontario.
It brings services to remote Indigenous communities in the province, allowing students to access remote learning tools as well as healthcare services virtually with high-speed internet and modern tablets.
The program had previously received support from Canada’s DPI program, which is designed to bridge the digital divide and build “strong foundations for strong and resilient communities.” The financial support for Cisco Canada’s Connected North program is likely providing a major opportunity for the program to continue and expand its offerings.
Link: https://mobilesyrup.com/2023/09/29/ontario-government-renews-financial-support-for-ciscos-connected-north/