(Grey County, ON) December 09, 2020 – Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) is pleased to announce that construction is now underway in Grey County to bring faster, more reliable high-speed services to the Township of Southgate and within the Municipality of West Grey.
“SWIFT is proud to be partnering with EH!tel Networks to bring better broadband services to many more residents living in Grey County,” said David Mayberry, SWIFT Board Chair. “With shovels now in the ground, residents are one step closer to greater access to high-speed connectivity.”
“After years of careful planning, advocacy and leadership, Grey County is excited to see the SWIFT project breaking ground in our community. Soon more Grey County residents and businesses will be connected to highspeed broadband services that have become essential to our lives. Congratulations to EH!tel and the team at SWIFT,” said Grey County Warden Selwyn Hicks.
Recent recipient of SWIFT funding, EH!tel Networks is now moving forward with the construction and implementation of it’s high-speed network to bring better broadband services to more than 1,000 household and businesses within the communities of Holstein, Varney, Orchardville, Yeovil, Dromore, Tartan and Thistle.
“This project is of vital importance to us. Since COVID, our existing wireless networks are strained. Initiating fibre construction will provide prompt capacity relief and give us a jump start for 2021,” said Antonius Peeters, CEO and President, EH!tel Networks.
SWIFT has awarded $2.7 million in federal and provincial funding to support the $4.3 million joint venture that will use a combination of both fibre and wireless technologies to significantly expand broadband access within the township and throughout the municipality. The new high-speed project is expected to be completed, with services available by mid-2021.
“It’s exciting to see this newly funded network being rolled-out at an accelerated rate,” said Barry Field, Executive Director, SWIFT. “EH!tel Networks was able to fast-track this project and move up their construction date in an effort to quickly begin to address connectivity challenges within the Grey County communities.”
Today’s announcement is part of SWIFT’s $209 million broadband expansion plan that aims to bring better broadband access to approximately 50,000 underserved homes and businesses across Southwestern Ontario.
Additional Information:
Grey County Project Overview
Quick Facts:
- SWIFT, in partnership with the federal and provincial governments and private sector investors, recently announced a combined investment of $16.9 million to deliver high-speed internet to more than 3,900 underserved homes and businesses within the County of Grey.
About SWIFT:
Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) is a non-profit regional broadband project initiated by the Western Ontario Wardens’ Caucus to subsidize the construction of high-speed broadband networks across Southwestern Ontario.
The project was approved for funding under the New Building Canada Fund – Small Communities Fund (NBCF-SCF), a joint federal and provincial infrastructure funding program, and leverages additional funding from municipal partners and private sector investors to improve access to broadband services across the region.
Media Contact:
Melissa O’Brien
[email protected]
Manager, Communications and Stakeholder Relations
Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology
226.256.1640
