OXFORD, HURON and BRUCE COUNTIES – The Government of Ontario and Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) Inc., announced yesterday several more updates on SWIFT-funded high-speed Internet projects.
Earlier this week the provincial government and SWIFT provided updates on projects in Brant, Dufferin, Middlesex, Perth and Dufferin counties. Yesterday, they announced service is now or will soon be available to more homes and businesses in Oxford, Huron and Bruce counties.
In Oxford County, Execulink Telecom is bringing high-speed Internet access to 207 homes and businesses in Culloden, Delmer and Ostrander in the Township of South-West Oxford, according to a press release from SWIFT. “Network construction is expected to be complete with service available to all locations within the project’s footprint by September 2022,” the release says.
The contract for the project was awarded in October 2020.
“We are proud to bring Fibre to more communities in Oxford County, given Oxford County is where we started and home to our head office,” said Ian Stevens, CEO of Execulink, in SWIFT’s press release.
The project’s total value is $692,260 with $487,331 coming from the federal and provincial governments through SWIFT, according to SWIFT’s approved projects webpage.
In Bruce County, HuronTel, Wightman Telecom and EH!Tel Networks have each hit milestones on their respective projects, a second SWIFT press release explains.
HuronTel completed construction in Huron-Kinloss, South Bruce and Morris-Turnberry. The ISP is providing high-speed Internet service to “133 homes and businesses in the rural areas located east of Lucknow, including within the community of Langside.”
The project was expected to be completed Jan. 28, 2022, according to the approved projects webpage.
“HuronTel is pleased to now offer fibre optic broadband services to this previously under-served area of Bruce County,” said Ryan McClinchey, general manager of HuronTel, in the press release. “This project, with the support of SWIFT, builds on HuronTel’s commitment to serve the residents and businesses in our small towns and rural communities with much needed high-speed internet.”
The total project value is $1.3 million, with $908,956 in government funding provided through SWIFT, according to the organization’s approved projects webpage.
This project was announced in June 2021. At the time, Cartt.ca reported $909,000 in government funding would help provide service to 128 households.
Wightman Telecom also finished construction on its fibre-optic network in South Bruce, where it now offers high-speed Internet to the community of Formosa. The project covered 241 premises and had a total value of $1.1 million, according to SWIFT’s approved projects webpage. Of that funding, $384,029 was provided by the federal and provincial governments through SWIFT. The expected completion date was Feb. 2, 2022.
The funding for this project was announced in June 2021 along with the project by HuronTel. At the time, Cartt.ca reported the government funding through SWIFT, totalling $384,000, would help connect 226 households.
It was further announced yesterday EH!Tel Networks began construction in Arran-Elderslie, Brockton and South Bruce. “Through a combination of both fibre and wireless technologies the service provider will provide 1,054 homes and businesses throughout the communities of Vesta, Ellengowan, Pinkerton, Eden Grove, Cargill, Dunkeld, Chepstow, Pearl Lake, Maple Hill and Malcolm with access to high-speed internet,” the SWIFT press release says.
According to SWIFT’s approved projects webpage, this project also includes the communities of Gargill and Otter Creek. The total value of the project is $4.7 million with $3.1 million coming from the federal and provincial governments through SWIFT.
“Network construction is expected to be complete with service available to all locations within the project’s footprint by September 2022,” the press release says.
This project was announced on April 1, 2022.
In Huron County, Tuckersmith Communications is now providing high-speed Internet service to 72 homes and businesses in and around the communities of Roxboro and Sunshine after the service provider finished construction on two fibre-optic networks.
In Roxboro, 25 homes and businesses in the community and surrounding area along part of Roxboro Line and Hydro Line Road are now connected to high-speed Internet, a third SWIFT press release says.
The total project value is $187,305 with $87,305 of that coming from the federal and provincial governments through SWIFT, according to SWIFT’s approved projects webpage. The expected completion date for this project was March 8, 2022.
“In the municipality of Morris-Turnberry, Tuckersmith Communications is also now providing high-speed internet service to 47 homes and businesses along Morris Road between Brussels and Belgrave, including within the rural community of Sunshine,” the release says.
The total value of this project is $384,513, with $124,513 coming from the federal and provincial governments through SWIFT, the organization’s approved projects webpage says. The expected completion date for this project was March 3, 2022.
Tuckersmith Communications also broke ground on two more high-speed Internet projects in Huron County.
“The first project will bring fibre-to-the-home service to 37 homes and businesses in the hamlet of Henfryn and the underserved areas along parts of Henfryn Line, Newry Road, Livingston Line, Krauter Line and McNaught Line,” the release says.
“Construction of the new broadband infrastructure is expected to be complete with service fully available to all locations within the network’s coverage area by June 2022.”
The total value of this project is $248,123, with $63,123 coming from the federal and provincial governments through SWIFT, according to the approved projects webpage
The second fibre-optic project Tuckersmith Communications has broken ground on “will service 121 homes and businesses located in the underserved area surrounding the community of Summerhill and is forecasted to be complete by February 2023,” says the press release.
The projects is expected to be completed Feb. 28, 2023.
The total project value is $1.1 million, with $508,630 coming from the federal and provincial governments through SWIFT, the approved projects webpage says.
These four projects were announced in April 2021 as part of a larger announcement about funding for high-speed Internet in Huron County.
Also in Huron County, Wightman Telecom has begun to expand high-speed fibre-optic Internet service to 680 homes and businesses in the municipality of Howick, within the communities of Wroxeter, Gorrie and Fordwich.
“The high-speed internet project, which began late last year, is forecasted to be complete with service fully available to all locations within the network’s coverage area by July 2022,” the press release says.
The total project value is $3.7 million, with $1.1 million coming from the federal and provincial governments through SWIFT, according to SWIFT’s approved projects webpage.
This project was announced in April 2021 along with the Tuckersmith Communications projects in Huron County. At the time, it was expected 668 households would benefit from the project.
