(Lambton County, ON) May 11, 2021 –SWIFT today announced that Brooke Telecom has begun construction of a new fibre-to-the-home network in Lambton County to bring fast, reliable internet connectivity to more than 570 households and businesses in the communities of Wanstead, Rokeby, Walnut and Sutorville.
The $5.9 million fibre-optic broadband project is expected to be completed, with service fully available by December 2022.
“Increasing access to high-speed internet is pivotal to supporting our rural economies and small-town communities,” said Barry Field, Executive Director, SWIFT. “With a number of SWIFT funded fibre-optic projects already rolling-out across Lambton, we are proud to partner with Brooke Telecom to bring greater connectivity to an additional 570 rural homes and businesses along the concession lines and sideroads throughout the municipality.”
“The beginning of broadband infrastructure construction in the communities of Wanstead, Rokeby, Walnut and Sutorville, means that more residents and businesses in these communities will soon have access to fast, reliable internet service,” said Ernie Hardeman, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “This is a great step forward in our plan to deliver broadband that supports better educational opportunities, attracts businesses and creates jobs in the county.”
“This project will positively impact hundreds of homes and businesses in Petrolia, Enniskillen and Brooke-Alvinston, providing access to high-speed internet, which crucial in today’s digital world,” said Lambton County Warden Kevin Marriott. “Seeing these projects break ground is exciting, and we know that the benefit of these projects will be felt by many Lambton County residents and businesses in the very near future.”
“We are very excited along with our construction partner Pickard Construction to begin work on this important project for the rural residents of Lambton County and are thankful for the support of the County and SWIFT. We look forward to delivering a better customer experience and helping customers live, work and learn in our rural communities,” said Geoff Greening, General Manager, Brooke Telecom.
SWIFT has awarded Brooke Telecom $770,400 in federal and provincial funding and will leverage an additional $2.6 million contribution provided by the County of Lambton to further expand fibre connectivity within the municipality. In total the project will deploy more than 141 kilometres of fibre-optic cabling along underserved roadway within the county to bring greater connectivity to the region.
Additional Information:
Lambton County Project Overview
Quick Facts:
- SWIFT, in partnership with the federal and provincial governments and private sector investors, announced a combined investment of $17.6 million to deliver high-speed internet to more than 4,500 underserved homes and businesses throughout County of Lambton and within Kettle and Stony Point First Nation.
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