MIDDLESEX COUNTY, Ont. — Rural broadband funding organization Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) announced today it has awarded a $5.5-million contract to EH!tel Networks to bring high-speed Internet access to almost 600 rural homes and businesses in Middlesex County in Ontario.
Through SWIFT, the governments of Canada and Ontario have each committed up to $1.4 million in funding to the project which will deliver high-speed broadband to 597 premises in the communities of Christina, Longwood, Mayfair, Middlemiss and Muncey, which are west of London, Ont. Construction of the new broadband network, which will see EH!tel deploy fibre cable along 104 kilometres of underserviced roads in the county, is expected to begin this month and to be completed by the end of December 2022.
The Eh!tel project is the final pending contract to be awarded in Middlesex County by SWIFT. In March, SWIFT awarded $7.5 million in contracts to Xplornet Communications, Start.ca, Execulink Telecom, North Frontenac Telephone Company and Quadro Communications to deliver improved broadband service to more than 1,100 households and businesses throughout Middlesex County.
“Today we are pleased to announce that the remaining SWIFT contract in Middlesex County has now been awarded to bring high-speed internet access to nearly 600 additional homes and businesses within the municipality. In total, Middlesex County will receive $13 million in broadband upgrades to support seven fibre-to-the-home projects,” said Gary McNamara, SWIFT board chair, in a government of Ontario press release.
