(Waterloo, ON) August 16, 2021 – SWIFT today announced that several awarded high-speed fibre-optic broadband projects have begun construction in the Region of Waterloo to bring improved internet service to many more residents living within the Townships of North Dumfries, Woolwich, Wellesley, Wilmot and a small portion of underserved homes and businesses located on the outskirts of the City of Waterloo.
“In today’s hyper connected world having access to high-speed internet means having access to opportunities,” said Barry Field, Executive Director, SWIFT. “As we mark the start of construction on four out of five awarded high-speed fibre-optic projects in the Region of Waterloo, we are pleased to be working in partnership with our community partners and local internet service providers to ensure that many more residents living throughout Southwestern Ontario have equitable access to high-quality broadband service.”
“I’m pleased to see that fast, reliable internet service will soon be coming to the communities of Maryhill, Orr’s Lake, Clyde, Dorking, Macton, North Woolwich, Josephburg and Erbsville,” said Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “Broadband allows families to stay connected to each other and is an essential tool for students as well as businesses competing in a global market. The Government of Ontario made a promise to connect every community in Ontario to high speed internet and we’re making great progress towards that goal.”
“The Region is proud to be a funding partner for these four high speed fibre-optic projects, which aim to address inequities in our communities, particularly in the townships. Access to modern internet infrastructure is essential for work, school, and social wellbeing as more of our lives and experiences move online. This investment will benefit residents now and for years to come,” said Karen Redman, Chair, Regional Municipality of Waterloo.
In partnership with SWIFT, North Frontenac Telephone Company (NFTC) has begun construction on two high-speed projects that will collectively bring fibre-to-the-home service to 870 homes and businesses within the Region of Waterloo.
The first project will provide service to underserved areas in the Township of Woolwich located south of Maryhill and northeast of Breslau with the main fibre route running south from Maryhill along Regional Road 30, branching off to the east and west to service several sideroads.
The second awarded project will bring improved connectivity to rural areas surrounding the community of Floradale in the northern area of the Township of Woolwich, as well as in the southern area of the Township of Wellesley from Dorking in the northwest to Josephsburg in the south and Erbsville in the southeast. From Josephsburg, the coverage area extends south to the outskirts of the community of Baden within the Township of Wilmot.
Rogers Communications has also started construction on a fibre-to-the-home network in the Township of Wilmot to bring improved high-speed internet service to more than 100 households and businesses located in and around the village of Haysville and east from the community of Ayr along Wrigley Road to west of Dumfries Road.
In the Township of North Dumfries Bell Canada has also started construction on a high-speed fibre optic project to service two separate underserved areas surrounding the communities of Orr’s Lake and Clyde. The main fibre route, along the west side of the township, will run along a portion of Roseville Road/Regional Road 46 and branches off to the south to service areas along Orr’s Lake. The fibre route will also run east along Old Beverly Road/Regional Road 97 turning north along Village Road into the community of Clyde. Once completed the fibre-optic broadband project will provide 250 homes and businesses within the municipality with access to high-speed connectivity.
Construction of the new broadband networks will continue to progress at a steady pace over the upcoming months and are expected to be complete with service fully available to all residents within the SWIFT funded project areas by mid 2022.
For more information on SWIFT funded projects, including construction completion dates, please visit, swiftruralbroadband.ca
Quotes:
“NFTC is very pleased to continue our on-going investment in building fibre optic networks in Waterloo Region. The events of this past year have highlighted the importance of bridging the digital divide between rural and urban areas when it comes to internet access. For well over sixty years, NFTC has provided telecommunication services to rural Ontario subscribers. We are very familiar with the challenges of expanding high speed broadband services in lower populated areas. NFTC is proud to be able to partner with SWIFT to add over 132 km of additional fibre networks in Waterloo Region.”
– Grant Roughley, Vice President, NFTC
“Rogers is proud to be partnering with SWIFT to connect more than 100 homes and businesses in the communities of Haysville and Ayr, in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo. This past year has shown us how critical reliable high-speed internet is in our daily lives and with construction now underway, we are one step closer to providing dependable connectivity in these communities.”
– Philippe Oille, President of Southwestern Ontario Region, Rogers Communications
Quick Facts:
- Together with the federal and provincial governments and private sector investors, SWIFT will deliver a combined broadband infrastructure investment of $12 million to bring high-speed internet to more than 1,300 underserved homes and businesses within the Region of Waterloo.
- Four out of five SWIFT awarded high-speed fibre-optic projects within the Region of Waterloo have now begun construction. The remaining project, which will bring greater connectivity to an additional 90 homes and businesses between Weissenburg and Maryhill in the Township of Woolwich is slated to begin construction later this Fall.
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 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
