Niagara Region to see $21.2M investment in high-speed internet upgrades
Published August 4, 2021 at 3:41 pm
Niagara Region will be a key recipient of a joint federal-provincial infrastructure program looking to bring high-speed, open-access internet networks to some of the under-served municipalities in the region, particularly those with large rural areas.
The New Building Canada Fund – Small Communities Fund program will sink $21.2 million into the region through a non-profit broadband company called Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology, which will coordinate with providers Bell Canada, Cogeco Communications and Niagara Regional Broadband Network Limited, to sink 396 kilometres of fibre-optic cable to some 5,600 homes and businesses.
Key municipalities in the region that will see serious upgrades are Grimsby, West Lincoln, Pelham and Wainfleet.
With countless students and adults working from homes through the pandemic, Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff took to social media to laud the long-awaited upgrades.
“In our economy, broadband internet access isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity,” the 23-year-ol MPP said.
“That’s why I have worked closely with local communities – especially in the Southern tier of Niagara – to make sure people are connected across our region,” he continued.
Videos
With the project started earlier this year, it is expected to be complete by spring 2022.
insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising