- More than 2,465 households and businesses to see improvements in broadband services.
- Construction to be completed with service fully available by mid-2022.
(Brant County, ON) January 26, 2020 – Today Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) announced it has signed an agreement with Xplornet Communications to improve access to high-speed internet in the County of Brant and throughout portions of the Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation community.
“With connectivity comes opportunity,” said David Mayberry, SWIFT Board Chair. “Today’s newly announced $9.4 million broadband investment will bring greater connectivity to more than 2,400 households and businesses to further support online learning, increase work-from-home opportunities and unlock greater economic growth potential for businesses throughout Brant and within the Six Nations of the Grand River.”
$3.2 million in federal and provincial funding has been awarded to Xplornet Communications to deploy fibre cabling along 120 kilometres of underserved roadway to provide reliable high-speed broadband access to 2,465 households. In total the region will receive $9.4 million in broadband upgrades, including more than $6.2 million in contributions from the internet service provider.
“County of Brant residents and businesses located in underserved broadband areas require easy access to connect with the online world. Whether for work, social, shopping, education or other interests, we have become a digital world and the need for high-speed connectivity will only continue to grow. We are thrilled to engage with SWIFT and Xplornet as they bring fiber optics to Brant as this will have a positive impact on the local economy and the quality of life for residents. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this project and we look forward to this partnership,” said County of Brant Mayor David Bailey.
“As you know, the constraints caused by the COVID19 pandemic has further demonstrated the importance of rural connectivity, especially here at Six Nations. Our recovery efforts have and must address the long overdue need to equip our community with the necessary tools for success in the digital economy. Undeniably, Xplornet’s project will boost community development, facilitate access to eHealth services, support students to participate in on-line education, and support residents working from home. We acknowledge and appreciate the early commitment to engage with our Connectivity Broadband Task Force on this important work and sincerely thank SWIFT and Xplornet for your investment in our future,” said Chief Mark B. Hill, Six Nations of the Grand River.
“Xplornet is Canada’s leading rural-focused internet provider, and we’re thrilled to be working with SWIFT to deploy our next-generation fibre network across Brant County and the Six Nations of the Grand River. Rural residents can look forward to the fastest speeds and unlimited data delivered by an Xplornet fibre-to-the-home network – coming soon!” said Andreas Wiatowski, VP, Business Development (Ontario), Xplornet Communications Inc.
The newly announced project is scheduled to be complete with service fully available by mid-2022 and 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:
County of Brant Project Overview
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, Caledon and the Niagara Region.
The project was approved for funding up to $127.4 million 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 bring the total project investment to $209 million 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
