Projects are underway in Brant, Dufferin counties; projects in Middlesex, Perth, Dufferin counties completed
BRANT COUNTY, DUFFERIN COUNTY, MIDDLESEX COUNTY and PERTH COUNTY, Ont. — Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) and the Ontario government today announced work is now underway on a SWIFT-funded broadband project by Xplornet Communications in Brant County, Ont., as well as a project by EH!tel Networks in Dufferin County.
In addition, they announced SWIFT broadband projects in Middlesex County have been completed by Start.ca and North Frontenac Telephone Company (NFTC). Projects in Perth County by Mornington Communications and Wightman Telecom are also completed, and Bell Canada has finished construction of a fibre-optic network in Dufferin County.
Cartt.ca reported last month the County of Brant announced Xplornet had started construction on a new high-speed fibre-optic network, which is a collaboration between the county government and SWIFT.
In its press release today, SWIFT says the $9.4-million broadband project being undertaken by Xplornet will service 126 kilometres of roadway with fibre-optic cabling to bring high-speed Internet service to 1,592 underserved households and businesses throughout Brant County. Communities to be covered include: Harrisburg and an area northeast of Paris; Onondaga and areas east of Cainsville and Brantford; Newport, Burtch and an area west of Mount Pleasant along Pleasant Ridge Road/County Road 7; and Cathcart, Harley, Fairfield Plain, Northfield and Kelvin.
Through SWIFT, the governments of Canada and Ontario are jointly investing more than $3 million in the project, according to an Ontario government press release.
SWIFT awarded the contract and funding for the Brant County project to Xplornet in January 2021, as Cartt.ca reported here. At that time, the expected completion date for the project was August 2022, however SWIFT’s press release and approved projects webpage now say the project is forecasted to be completed by May 2023.
“Residents and businesses in Brant County will soon be able to benefit from gigabit speeds and increased reliability on a world-class fibre network,” Dennis Steiger, Xplornet’s chief technology officer, said in SWIFT’s press release.
“This unlocks opportunities for remote work and learning, supports healthy communities and economic growth, and builds on our ongoing commitment to expand our network so that all rural Canadians can connect to what matters.”
In Middlesex County, Start.ca has completed construction of a fibre-to-the-home network that is now offering high-speed Internet service to 239 homes and businesses within the municipality of Thames Centre in a rural area south of Thorndale, Ont., according a separate press release from SWIFT.
The coverage area of this fibre network extends east of London along Trafalgar Street, Dundas Street and Wyton Drive, as well as northwest from the Dorchester area along parts of Shaw Road and Nissouri Road and north to the Thames River/Fanshawe Lake area, the release says.
Also in Middlesex County, NFTC has finished building a high-speed network to provide fast broadband connectivity to 147 homes and businesses located between the rural communities of Glencoe, Newbury and Wardsville, within the municipalities of Southwest Middlesex and Strathroy-Caradoc. The coverage area of this network also includes a small area to the west of Caradoc in the Township of Strathroy-Caradoc, the release says.
The contracts and government funding for these projects in Middlesex County were awarded to Start.ca and NFTC in March 2021, as Cartt.ca reported here. The combined funding from the Canadian and Ontario governments for the projects amounts to a little more than $2 million, according to SWIFT’s approved projects page.
In Perth County, Mornington Communications has completed construction of one of three fibre broadband projects it was awarded by SWIFT in March 2021. Its new fibre-to-the-home network is now offering high-speed Internet service to 202 households and businesses located between Hampstead and Shakespeare in the Township of Perth East along parts of Perth Road 107, Perth Lines 40, 43 and 47, according to a third press release from SWIFT.
SWIFT’s approved projects page says Mornington received approximately $875,000 in government funding to help build the network, which has a value of $1.4 million.
Also in Perth County, Wightman Telecom has completed the construction of a fibre-optic network in the Municipality of North Perth to bring high-speed Internet service to 91 homes located east of Listowel in the residential development of The Village Park, SWIFT’s release says.
This project was awarded by SWIFT to Wightman Telecom in March 2021, along with approximately $140,000 in government funding. The value of this project is about $274,000.
Cartt.ca previously reported in February 2022 when these projects in Perth County were underway.
According to a second press release from the Ontario government this afternoon, the federal and provincial governments have provided more than $3.2 million in total combined funding for these completed projects in Middlesex County and Perth County.
In Dufferin County, EH!tel Networks has broken ground on a fibre network in the Township of Melancthon and Mulmur to bring high-speed Internet service to 654 homes and businesses within the communities of Redickville, Honeywood, Black Bank, Ruskview, Terra Nova, Kilgorie, Horning’s Mills, Whitfield and Springwater Lakes, according to a fourth press release from SWIFT today.
This project “will service portions of County Road 124 north from Shelburne to the Horning’s Mills area, as well as east along County Road 17 to Whitfield, northeast along Prince of Wales Road, River Road, Sideroad 20 towards Terra Nova and extend coverage west along County Road 21 through Honeywood and along County Road 124,” reads SWIFT’s release.
Construction of the network, valued at approximately $4 million, is expected to be completed by November 2022, according to SWIFT’s approved projects page.
The federal and provincial governments are providing more than $2.3 million in funding toward the project, according to a third press release from the Ontario government.
SWIFT awarded the project to EH!tel Networks in September 2020 as part of a larger investment in broadband infrastructure in Dufferin County.
Finally, the Ontario government and SWIFT announced Bell Canada has completed construction of a fibre network in Dufferin County and is now offering high-speed Internet access to 308 homes and businesses in the community of Mansfield. This includes residential areas surrounding the Mansfield Ski Club and areas along portions of County Roads 5 and 17, according to SWIFT’s release.
Cartt.ca reported in February 2021 when Bell first started work on this project.
SWIFT awarded the contract to Bell in September 2020. According to SWIFT’s approved projects page, Bell received approximately $355,000 in SWIFT funding from the federal and provincial governments to support the fibre network’s construction.
“Bell is very pleased to bring enhanced fibre broadband connectivity to over 300 residents and businesses in the community of Mansfield,” said Bruce Furlong, Bell senior vice-president, in SWIFT’s press release. “We’re proud of our partnership with SWIFT and the federal and provincial governments to expand access to high-speed internet in Dufferin County.”
