CHATHAM-KENT, ON – Bell and the Municipality of Chatham-Kent said Wednesday that Bell will bring its all-fibre broadband network directly to approximately 38,000 residences and business locations in the Southwestern Ontario region, starting in Chatham and expanding to Blenheim, Ridgetown, Tilbury and Wallaceburg.
Fully funded by Bell, the network deployment will include more than 270 km of fibre installed both underground and on utility poles. Construction is set to begin this summer, with the first customer connections expected in the fall.
Bell said that its FTTP service delivers Internet access speeds of up to 1 Gbps with symmetrical upload and downloads, and will ultimately deliver speeds of 40 Gbps and beyond.
“Bell’s all-fibre network will be a major contributor to ongoing economic growth in the region as Chatham-Kent establishes itself as one of Canada’s broadband communications leaders,” said Bell VP network Bruce Furlong, in the news release. “Municipal officials and staff were quick to recognize the benefits this next-generation communications infrastructure will bring to both residents and businesses, and we look forward to their continued support as we begin this major project.”
Chatham-Kent Mayor Randy Hope called the move “a major step forward for the community”.
“Enhanced communications capability is one of the keys to the future and a strategy I’ve been working on for our communities”, he added.
