WATERLOO REGION, ON — Two broadband infrastructure projects funded by the governments of Canada and Ontario through Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) have been completed in Waterloo Region and are now providing more than 865 previously underserved homes and businesses with access to reliable high-speed internet, SWIFT announced Monday.
Both fibre broadband projects were constructed by North Frontenac Telephone Company (NFTC), which was awarded the contracts by SWIFT in December 2020. In total, NFTC laid more than 134 kilometres of fibre cabling along rural roadway throughout the Townships of Woolwich, Wellesley and Wilmot to bring high-speed internet access to households and businesses located in the communities of Dorking, Macton, North Woolwich, Josephburg and Erbsville, and between the communities of Maryhill and Kossuth, explains a SWIFT press release.
“With the completion of these high-speed broadband projects in the Region of Waterloo, the newly established infrastructure will provide significant benefits to residents and local businesses, including improved access to online services, greater digital opportunities, and increased economic growth within the region,” Barry Field, SWIFT’s executive director, said in the release.
“We’re grateful for the hard work and commitment of everyone involved in bringing these projects to completion and look forward to the positive impact they will have on the region for years to come,” he said.
The federal and provincial governments are providing more than $6.1 million toward the cost of the projects, according to an Ontario government press release.
The two NFTC projects represent a collective total investment of approximately $9.2 million, according to SWIFT’s approved projects webpage.
