NIAGARA – Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) announced today construction has begun on three projects bringing fibre-to-the-home connectivity to 4,881 Niagara Region homes and businesses in the communities of Fort Erie, Grimsby, Lincoln, West Lincoln, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Falls, Pelham and Wainfleet.
The projects, two of which are being completed by Bell Canada and one by Niagara Regional Broadband Network, are supported by the Governments of Canada and Ontario. Each government committed $3.5 million to the three projects, the contracts for which were awarded by SWIFT, according to a Government of Ontario press release.
“SWIFT is proud to partner with both Niagara Regional Broadband Network and Bell Canada to bring greater connectivity to the Niagara Region, as these fibre-optic broadband projects are an important community investment that will benefit the local economy and will provide new and greater opportunities to residents,” said Barry Field, executive director of SWIFT, in a SWIFT press release.
“As the demand for increased access to high-speed internet continues to grow, it’s great to see construction rolling out to deliver improved services throughout the Niagara Region and across Southwestern Ontario.”
The projects being undertaken by Bell will “bring high-speed internet access to 4,248 underserved homes and businesses by the summer of 2022,” SWIFT’s press release says.
One of the projects will service 137 kilometers of roadway, connecting several dispersed communities. Most of the project will “bring service to underserved areas surrounding Niagara-on-the-Lake and parts of Chippawa, a small community located within the City of Niagara Falls,” the press release says.
The project also extends to surrounding communities including Pelham, St. Anns and north Beamsville.
“Once complete, the $5.3 million high-speed broadband network will deliver greater connectivity to 2,014 homes and businesses,” according to the release.
Bell’s second project will expand broadband service along 134 kilometers of roadway and will connect “2,234 locations throughout the southern Niagara Region, including areas in West Lincoln, Fort Erie, Port Colborne and Wainfleet,” the press release says.
“The $7.5 million project will service locations surrounding the community of Wellandport in West Lincoln, as well as in Fort Erie between Fort Erie North and Douglastown, primarily adjacent to the Niagara River Parkway and in underserved areas surrounding Point Abino.”
The network will further improve service in Port Colborne between Bethel and Lorraine, the underserved area surrounding Sherkston and Shisler Point, and will “encompass a large area within the Township of Wainfleet to service areas between Perry, Wainfleet, Long Beach and Burnaby,” the release explains.
The project by Niagara Regional Broadband Network will service over “72 kilometres of underserved roadway within the Town of Pelham and the Township of Wainfleet,” the press release says.
“The $5.1 million fibre-to-the-home network will provide 633 homes and businesses between the communities of Fenwick, Welland and Wainfleet with improved access to high-speed internet. Service is expected to be fully available to all locations within the project’s fibre footprint by December 2022.”
