HALIFAX -- The federal government has announced $6 million in funding for high-speed Internet in Nova Scotia.

The Industry Canada grant will allow Seaside Wireless Communications to expand Internet services to about 14,000 homes and businesses.

The funding will be directed to residents in Pictou, Antigonish, Colchester, Guysborough, Inverness, Cape Breton, Cumberland, Richmond, and Victoria.

The government says the expansion is expected to be completed by August 2018, delivering average Internet speeds of five megabits per second.