- SWIFT awards funding to support three fibre-to-the-home projects to bring broadband services to more than 990 underserved households and businesses in Caledon.
- As a result of the competitive nature of SWIFT’s procurement process, Caledon will receive approximately $6.2 million in broadband upgrades, one million more than originally anticipated.
(Caledon, ON) September 28, 2020 – As part of its Southwestern Ontario broadband expansion plan, Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) today announced that it has awarded contracts to expand high-speed fibre-optic broadband services to more than 990 homes and businesses in Caledon.
“Access to high-speed internet is key to our region’s economic recovery and future prosperity,” says SWIFT Board Chair, David Mayberry. “SWIFT is committed to furthering the expansion of high-speed services across our project region and today together with the Government of Ontario and Canada, we are proud to announce the construction of three fibre-to-the home projects in the Town of Caledon. The newly announced high-speed networks will improve connectivity in underserved areas to advance the way residents and business owners connect and participate in today’s digital society.”
SWIFT has awarded funding in the amount of $3.5 million to improve access to broadband services in the communities of Mount Wolfe, Albion, Centreville Creek and The Grange. In total Caledon will receive approximately $6.2 million in broadband upgrades, including nearly $2.7 million in contributions from the internet service providers.
“These projects will address a number of our service gaps with the work to be completed by the end of 2022,” says Caledon Mayor, Allan Thompson. “I greatly appreciate the tremendous efforts and support from our partners at SWIFT and the Province of Ontario; I look forward to working with North Frontenac Telecommunications and once again with Vianet to bring us closer to our goal of a Connected Caledon.”
SWIFT has signed an agreement with Vianet to deploy fibre cabling along more than 34 kilometres of underserved roadway throughout the communities of Albion and Centreville Creek to bring high-speed service to more than 470 households. Construction of the $2.4 million fibre-to-the-home solution is expected to be completed by early-2022.
Vianet will also receive funding to install a fibre-optic network along nearly 26 kilometres of underserved roads in the community of Mount Wolfe. The $1.9 million fibre-optic project will bring high-speed internet to approximately 370 households by the end of 2021.
“Vianet is extremely excited about this opportunity to bring high-speed fibre optic internet services to Caledon. This project will give the residents and businesses, in the project areas of rural Caledon, the fastest and most reliable internet available today,” says Brian McCullagh, Director of Business Development, Vianet. “This furthers Vianet’s efforts to work together with funding agencies like SWIFT to build essential infrastructure for the future of smaller Ontario communities. We thank SWIFT and all those involved who have worked so hard to bring this project forward and we are eager to get the fibre build started.”
North Frontenac Telephone Corporation Limited (NFTC) will also install fibre-cabling to service approximately 16 kilometres of roadway in The Grange community. The $1.9 million project has been awarded funding to bring high-speed broadband to approximately 150 premises by early-2022.
“NFTC has a proud history of serving rural Ontario customers for over 60 years. COVID-19 has placed an even greater urgency on bridging the divide between rural and urban broadband availability,” says Grant Roughley, Vice President, NFTC. “Our partnership with SWIFT allows us to continue to invest in the expansion of our high-speed, pure fibre optic networks in rural Ontario and extend fibre connectivity to the underserved citizens and businesses in the affected regions.”
“Originally Caledon was slated to receive approximately $5.2 million in broadband upgrades, however due to the competitive nature of SWIFT’s procurement process, the value of the newly announced projects has risen to $6.2 million,” says SWIFT Executive Director, Barry Field. “These investments will significantly boost internet speeds in Caledon and will support the online digital needs of families and businesses both today and into the future.”
SWIFT is delivering on its commitment to expand broadband services across Southwestern Ontario. The newly announced projects will collectively service more than 76 kilometres of underserved roads to deliver high-speed fibre connectivity to many more residents living in Caledon.
Additional Information:
Caledon 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
