LONDON — Rural broadband funding organization SWIFT (Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology) announced Friday it has now officially issued approximately $197 million in requests for proposals (RFPs) to expand broadband access throughout southwestern Ontario.
Now in the third phase of its broadband expansion plan, SWIFT says it is on track to close all phase three RFPs before the end of 2020 and intends to award 90% of the project’s contracts by the end of 2020 and 100% by January 2021, says its press release.
To view SWIFT’s full tendering schedule, including procurement values, closing dates and RFP status updates, please click here.
In addition, on Monday, SWIFT announced the awarding of contracts to support fibre-to-the-home projects as part of a $10.4-million broadband expansion plan in Dufferin County and a $6.2-million broadband investment in Caledon, Ontario.
In Dufferin County (just north of Brampton), five fibre-optic projects will deliver high-speed Internet to more than 1,660 households and businesses in communities throughout East Garafraxa, Mulmur, Amaranth and Melancthon.
Contracts for the five broadband projects in Dufferin County have been awarded to North Frontenac Telephone Corporation (NFTC), Eh!tel Networks, Cogeco Connexion, Bell Canada and Rogers Communications.
In Caledon, three broadband projects will bring high-speed Internet to more than 990 underserved homes and businesses in the communities of Mount Wolfe, Albion, Centreville Creek and The Grange. Contracts for two of the Caledon area projects have been awarded to Vianet, and the third was awarded to NFTC.
