(Dufferin, ON) August 10, 2021 – Today SWIFT proudly announced that two additional high-speed fibre-optic projects have broken ground in Dufferin County to bring improved broadband service to 250 homes within the Township of East Garafraxa.
“It’s great to see shovels now in the ground on a number of SWIFT funded projects throughout the County,” said Barry Field, Executive Director, SWIFT. “With three out of five awarded high-speed fibre optic projects now underway and the remaining two slated to begin later this summer, we would like to thank our service providers for their partnerships as we continue to work together to accelerate the expansion of high-speed internet service across the region.”
“The pandemic has proven that access to high speed internet is no longer a luxury but a necessity for all Ontarians,” said Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “Families need internet to do their work and for school and businesses need broadband to stay connected and compete in a global marketplace. The beginning of construction on projects in Dufferin County, are important steps forward in our government’s plan to connect every community in Ontario to high speed internet by 2025.”
“We are thrilled to see the SWIFT projects moving ahead and are excited for the day when our residents can connect to reliable high speed internet,” said Dufferin County Warden Darren White. “These fibre projects are an important piece of building a future in Dufferin County where residents have the infrastructure they need to work, learn, access services, and stay connected. We are grateful to all of the stakeholders and our partners for their ongoing commitment to SWIFT in Dufferin County and throughout southwestern Ontario.”
Rogers Communications has begun construction on a fibre-to-the-home network located in the northeastern section of the Township of East Garafraxa to bring improved high-speed internet service to areas within the residential development of Garafraxa Woods. The $688,000 fibre-to-the-home solution will bring high-speed connectivity to nearly 110 households by October 2021.
Work is also underway in the southwestern section of the Township of East Garafraxa, as Cogeco has begun construction of a fibre-optic network that will run along part of County Road 3 with sections running along part of the East West Garafraxa Townline and along 10th Line to bring improved high-speed internet access to 145 households and businesses. The $867,000 high-speed internet expansion project is expected to be completed with service fully available by March 2022.
For more information on SWIFT funded projects, please visit our website: www.swiftruralbroadband.ca/projects
Quotes:
“This past year has shown us that there has never been a more important time to invest in our communities to provide reliable high-speed Internet. Rogers is proud to be partnering with SWIFT and the governments of Canada and Ontario on this important work and the construction underway in Garafraxa Woods will mean improved connectivity for families and businesses in the community.”
– Phil Hartling, Executive Vice President, Service Expansion, Rogers Communications
“We are proud to announce that residents and businesses will benefit from our UltraFibre 1G Internet services in the Township of East Garafraxa. This project marks Cogeco’s first expansion in Dufferin County, and we look forward to bringing our world-class, high-speed Internet service to the community. Cogeco is pleased to be working with the Government of Ontario, through the SWIFT program, to continue in our mandate to reduce the digital divide between major cities and smaller communities. These investments contribute to our goal of connecting all Ontarians to high-speed Internet.”
– Matt Wickham, Vice-President and General Manager, Ontario Region, Cogeco Connexion
Quick Facts:
- As previously announced, work is also underway in the Township of Mulmur to bring better broadband service to more than 300 homes and businesses in the community of Mansfield.
- SWIFT, in partnership with the federal and provincial governments and private sector investors, has committed a combined investment of $10.5 million to bring high-speed internet service to nearly 1,840 underserved homes and businesses within Dufferin County.
Additional Information:
Dufferin County 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 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
