(Brant County, ON) April 20, 2022 – SWIFT is pleased to announce Xplornet Communications has begun construction of a high-speed fibre-optic network to bring improved broadband service to 1,592 underserved households and businesses throughout the County of Brant.
“SWIFT is pleased to partner with Xplornet Communications to expand high-speed broadband service throughout the County of Brant,” said Barry Field, Executive Director, SWIFT. “This infrastructure project will have long-term positive impacts on the communities and once complete will provide more than 1,500 homes and businesses throughout the County with access to fast, reliable internet service.”
The $9.4 million broadband project will service 126 kilometres of roadway with fibre-optic cabling to bring high-speed internet service to four separate areas within the County of Brant, including:
- Harrisburg and northeast of Paris in the northern portion of the project area;
- The community of Onondaga and areas east of Cainsville and Brantford in the eastern portion of the project;
- The communities of Newport and Burtch, as well as an area west of Mount Pleasant along Pleasant Ridge Road/County Road 7 in the central portion of the project; and
- The communities of Cathcart, Harley, Fairfield Plain, Northfield, and Kelvin in the southwestern section of the project area.
“We’re delivering on our commitment to provide access to high-speed internet for rural Ontario,” said Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “Building new broadband infrastructure in Brant County will help build Ontario and strengthen rural communities by helping people stay in touch with loved ones, enabling them to access the supports they need and providing a much-needed boost to the local economy.”
“We are so pleased to continue collaborating with SWIFT to expand fibre optic internet opportunities throughout the County of Brant. Access to reliable, fast internet in Brant continues to be very important to residents and business owners in this digital world. New opportunities for work, business, school, social and other connections are made possible and are becoming increasingly important,” said Brant County Mayor David Bailey.
Construction of the broadband infrastructure is forecasted to be complete with service fully available to all residents within the SWIFT funded project area by May 2023.
“Residents and businesses in Brant County will soon be able to benefit from gigabit speeds and increased reliability on a world-class fibre network,” said Dennis Steiger, Chief Technology Officer, Xplornet Communications Inc. “This unlocks opportunities for remote work and learning, supports healthy communities and economic growth, and builds on our ongoing commitment to expand our network so that all rural Canadians can connect to what matters.”
To learn more, please visit www.swiftruralbroadband.ca
Additional Information:
Quick Facts:
- Together with the federal and provincial governments and private sector investors, SWIFT will deliver a combined broadband infrastructure investment of $9.4 million to bring high-speed internet to more than 1,592 underserved homes and businesses within Brant County.
- In total, SWIFT has awarded 97 contracts to support the expansion of broadband infrastructure throughout Southwestern Ontario to bring more than 63,000 homes and businesses across the region improved access to high-speed internet. Local projects are underway, with 57 projects in the construction phase and 24 projects completed.
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
