SUDBURY, Ont. — Eastlink, owned by Halifax-based Bragg Communications Inc., today provided more details about its Ontario government-funded broadband project announced last week.
A total investment of $125 million will bring high-speed Internet to almost 10,000 homes and businesses in the Ontario communities of Huron, Bruce and Lambton as well as the Greater Sudbury area, Eastlink says in a press release.
“This is part of the Government of Ontario’s Accelerated High Speed Internet Program (AHSIP), which is contributing $69M towards the total investment,” explains Eastlink’s press release.
A backgrounder that accompanied the Ontario government’s announcement last week said the $69 million in funding awarded to Bragg Communications would help connect up to 9,507 homes and businesses.
“As a company deeply rooted in rural Canada, we’re so pleased to share news of these significant projects, particularly at a time when the need and demand has never been greater,” said Jeff Gillham, CEO of Eastlink, in the release.
“Our team is excited and anxious to get started so that we can connect these communities to our advanced fibre internet service, which will help strengthen local economies providing greater opportunities for both residents and business while improving access to important programs and services in health and education among other sectors,” Gillham said.
“This project builds nicely on our existing presence across hundreds of rural Ontario communities and will span about 2,500 kms of new fibre while providing the opportunity for future enhancements in additional communities,” said Eastlink’s senior vice-president of engineering and CTO, Steve Irvine. “Our team has begun the initial design and permitting work and looks forward to getting the physical build started.”
This announcement builds on Eastlink’s ongoing investments in rural Canadian towns and communities, the release says. “Over the past 10 years, Eastlink has invested in excess of $1B dollars in its fibre and mobile networks to connect hundreds of small communities from the coast of Newfoundland to the Sunshine Coast in BC.”
