DENMAN and HORNBY ISLANDS, B.C. — Prince Rupert-based telecom company CityWest announced today it is expanding its fibre network to Denman and Hornby Islands with the help of $5.64 million in funding from the B.C. government.
CityWest says in a press release it will use the funds to build and operate the fibre networks on the two islands, which are located off the east coast of central Vancouver Island.
B.C.’s Ministry of Citizens’ Services announced the funding last week, which is being provided through the provincial government’s Connecting British Columbia program. CityWest is receiving up to $3.26 million in funding to upgrade Internet services on Denman Island and up to $2.38 million for upgrades on Hornby Island, according to the government’s press release.
“Upgrading the networks on Hornby and Denman will boost the performance of internet access this year and prepare the islands to be connected to the high-performance Connected Coast network,” said Lisa Beare, B.C.’s Minister of Citizens’ Services, in the government release.
According to the government, more than 1,350 households will begin to see improvements through the two network upgrade projects, and “will be able to enjoy a direct fibre connection to their homes when the Connected Coast network is completed and their community is connected to a proposed landing site.”
The Connected Coast network is an undersea cable project that will deliver backbone bandwidth to 139 rural and remote communities along the B.C. coast, as well as around Vancouver Island, according to CityWest’s press release. The project is being co-managed by CityWest and the Strathcona Regional District.
CityWest said all projects are currently in the beginning phases and the company will release more information over the coming months on when construction will start.
“For many years Denman and Hornby Islanders have had some of the worst Internet in our region,” said Daniel Arbour, a director with the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD), in CityWest’s release. “Residents clearly asked for a solution, and I am happy that with this major Provincial grant opportunity we may be able to provide fibre optic internet to every home on the islands at an affordable cost.
“In the next weeks and months, the CVRD will engage with residents towards a referendum this fall for the community’s 10 per cent share of the project funding,” Arbour added.
“This is great news for everyone on the islands,” said Karen Ross, the coordinator for the Hornby Denman Internet Committee. “We held extensive community consultations on the islands, and we received overwhelming support for this application. The principles of universality, affordability, and future-proofed technology are foundational to CityWest’s successful application. We encourage residents to sign up for a drop to their premises through the CityWest website, in order for the project to commence as soon as possible.”
