LONDON — Non-profit regional rural broadband project SWIFT (Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology) announced Monday its request for proposal (RFP) for a $5.2-million broadband infrastructure project in Caledon, Ont., will close on June 12. UPDATE: The deadline has been extended by a week. An earlier version of this story said the deadline was June 5th.
The RFP for the Caledon project was originally issued on March 9, 2020. Contracts will be awarded and service provider agreements will be put in place shortly after the RFP closes, says the news release.
Prequalified service providers have until June 12 to submit network designs and proposals to address broadband service gaps in eligible funding areas throughout Caledon. To identify high-quality projects, SWIFT will evaluate all eligible proposals against predefined assessment criteria, says the release.
When evaluating and selecting projects for funding, SWIFT says it takes into consideration the following: ability to provide the CRTC’s Universal Service Objective of 50 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload (50/10) service or greater, number of premises passed, future scalability of the network, and service provider contribution proportion, among other project selection factors.
Operating on a cost-sharing basis, SWIFT will leverage federal and provincial funding to subsidize up to a maximum of two-thirds of the eligible costs for awarded projects to deliver reliable Internet to more people living in Caledon, says the release.
Selected and approved projects will be announced once SWIFT has completed its evaluation assessment, negotiated contracts and awarded funding to projects the score the highest based on the evaluation process, SWIFT says.
“Our current reality has emphasized, more so than ever, the importance and need for greater connectivity across our region. That is why SWIFT, in partnership with the Government of Ontario and Canada, along with our municipal partners are pleased to announce that access to high-speed Internet will soon be a reality for many more residents living in Caledon,” said David Mayberry, SWIFT board chair, in the news release.
