(Bruce County, ON) April 1, 2022 – SWIFT announced today that Xplornet Communications has begun construction in the County of Bruce to bring fibre-to-the-home connectivity to 3,247 homes and businesses within the communities of Sauble Beach, Lion’s Head, Colpoys Bay and Wiarton.
“SWIFT is proud to partner with Xplornet Communications in our efforts to further expand high-speed fibre-optic connectivity throughout Bruce County’s underserved areas,” said Barry Field, Executive Director, SWIFT. “With construction now underway to service more than 3,200 homes and businesses, we are pleased to share that access to high-speed internet will soon be a reality for many more residents living and working in Bruce County.”
“Our government has made access to high-speed internet a priority for rural Ontario, and we’re delivering on that commitment,” said Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “New connections in Bruce County will help families stay in touch, help people access supports they need, while providing a much-needed boost to the local economy. It’s the type of critical infrastructure that benefits the entire community.”
Xplornet Communications, which was awarded funding to support the expansion of high-speed fibre-optic connectivity throughout the municipalities of South and Northern Bruce Peninsula, has broken ground on three fibre-to-the-home projects.
The first project will service 28 kilometres of roadway in areas surrounding the communities of Colpoys Bay and Wiarton. The project’s coverage area will also extend east from Wiarton along Grey Road 1 to bring high-speed internet to the Wiarton Keppel International Airport. In total the high-speed project will provide 1,307 homes and businesses with access to fibre connectivity by November 2022.
The second fibre-to-the-home project is forecasted to be complete by August 2022 and will collectively expand broadband service along 24 kilometres of roadway to bring fast, reliable internet connectivity to 1,293 homes and businesses located in Sauble Beach and Sauble Beach North.
The third fibre-optic project will bring improved internet access to parts of the underserved area surrounding the community of Lion’s Head and sections north of the community along the Georgian Bay shoreline. The 20-kilometre fibre-optic network is forecasted to be complete by November 2022 and will provide service to 647 homes and businesses.
“We’ve always believed that Ontarians should have access to high-speed Internet, no matter where they live” said Dennis Steiger, Chief Technology Officer, Xplornet Communications Inc. “We’re proud to bring the benefits of fibre-to-the-premise Internet connectivity to Bruce County residents and businesses, and to build on our progress towards expanding our network so that all rural Canadians can connect to what matters most.”
SWIFT is also pleased to report GBTEL, which was awarded funding to provide 252 homes and businesses located between Sauble Beach and Allenford, including parts of the shoreline roads along Gould Lake and Chesley Lake with access to high-speed connectivity, has now started to turn-up service in the completed portions of the network build out. As the construction of the fibre-optic network continues to progress, residents in the remaining underserved project area will be brought online in a phased approach, with service expected to be fully available to all locations within the network’s coverage area by December 2022.
“GBTEL is thrilled to work with SWIFT and its various government partners. Local internet matters and, with the investment provided by SWIFT, GBTEL has been able to make a huge difference in communities here and now. We are investing in local talent and infrastructure daily and look forward to continued growth in Bruce County,” said Richard Gils, President, GBTEL.
For additional information on SWIFT funded projects, please visit: www.swiftruralbroadband.ca/projects
Today’s announcement is part of SWIFT’s $268 million regional broadband expansion plan that will bring high-speed internet service to more than 63,000 homes and businesses throughout Southwestern Ontario.
Additional Information:
Quick Facts:
- SWIFT, in partnership with the federal and provincial governments and private sector investors, has committed a combined investment of $16.3 million to bring high-speed internet service to more than 5,225 underserved homes and businesses in Bruce County.
- In total, SWIFT has awarded 97contracts 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 54 projects in the construction phase and 21 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
