Council all for high speed

Council is supporting Vianet’s funding application to supply broadband service to the southern part of the township, including Avening and New Lowell.
The company’s director of business development, Brian McCullagh, said Vianet is not asking the municipality for anything other than a letter of support to include with its application for government funding available to bring broadband high-speed internet, television and telephone to under serviced areas.
Eleven communities have been identified as underserviced, with Glencairn and Lisle also on the list. McCullagh said they already have support from Adjala-Tosorontio.
The plan is to create a loop out of Barrie and deliver service to homes in rural areas.
“There is no business case to bring fibre optic down these rural roads,” said McCullagh. “The federal government has recognized that.”
The service will allow rural residents to work from home and students will have better access to online education.
“Putting in fibre will permanently close the broadband gap,” said McCullagh.
Vianet is applying to the Government of Canada’s Connect to Innovate program for up to 75 per cent funding for the project. They would be responsible to invest at least 25 per cent.
The Connect to Innovate program will invest $500 million by 2021, to bring high-speed Internet to rural and remote communities in Canada.
The project should not interfere with the South Western Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) Network, said McCullagh. SWIFT has received $180 million in funding to extend broadband through South Western Ontario and the Niagara Region.