Similar initiative launched in Huron Shores, Ontario
St. JOHN’S, NL and IRON BRIDGE, Ont. — Rock Networks says it will build it, if Newfoundland and Labrador residents want it.
The Ottawa-based company, with locations in Dartmouth, Moncton, St. John’s and Lethbridge, today announced it recently launched a new website, rockhighspeed.com, to allow residents in Newfoundland and Labrador to express their interest in having high-speed Internet brought to their communities.
“As a native Newfoundlander, I understand how difficult it is to get a good quality internet connection in rural communities as well as how important it is to have access to high-speed internet,” said Rock Networks president and CEO Joe Hickey, in the company’s press release. “I believe that the province deserves access to the same opportunities as the rest of Canada, and while it is easy to complain about poor internet or poor cellular connection, now, residents have the opportunity to do something about it.”
On the website, people can show their interest in high-speed Internet by completing a customer survey, registering and pre-selecting the type of service they would like once the network is live, says the press release. The website also includes an integrated speed test for people to test the quality of their current Internet connection.
“This new platform allows people to make their voices heard and show their interest in bringing high-speed internet to the province to create a better internet experience for everyone in the community. When that demand is identified and determined to be viable, Rock Networks will build the network for those who want it the most,” reads the press release.
For more about Rock Networks’ initiative in Newfoundland and Labrador, please click here.
In another announcement today, the Northern Ontario Municipality of Huron Shores (about an hour drive east of Sault Ste. Marie) launched its own rural Internet demand-aggregation website, www.hmcofi.com, as part of the Huron Shore and Manitoulin Island Community Owned Fibre Infrastructure (H&M COFI). The website was launched in partnership with Rock Networks, who is hosting the platform.
“We were delighted to receive the news of the approval for Stage Two of our project for the Government of Ontario’s Improving Connectivity for Ontario (ICON) program, and with this, we have launched a new data collection tool that is available to homes and businesses for registration,” said Georges Bilodeau, mayor of Huron Shores, in the municipality’s press release. “This registry will allow future customers to express their interest in bringing high-speed internet to the community as well as to obtain information about H&M COFI and its benefits to the region.”
By signing up on the website and using the platform, residents show where the need for Internet is greatest, and the communities with the greatest demand will help H&M COFI decide where to build first, says the press release.
H&M COFI is focused on building a broadband network within the area from Nairn Centre to Echo Bay, including Elliot Lake, Espanola, St. Joseph Island and Manitoulin Island.
For more about the H&M COFI initiative, please click here.
