Broadband expanding in Clearview

Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) announced Dec. 11 it has awarded $41.1 million in funding to support six fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) projects across Simcoe County and expand broadband services to 12,700 households and businesses that have limited to no connectivity.
Bell Canada has been awarded funding to support three fibre-to-the-home projects. The newly awarded projects will collectively service 389 kilometres of underserved roadway to bring high-speed internet to 10,604 homes and businesses throughout the townships of Clearview, Adjala-Tosorontio, Essa, Springwater, Oro-Medonte, Tiny, Tay, Severn, Ramara  and within the towns of Midland, Penetanguishene and Innisfil. The projects represent a collective total investment of approximately $32 million and will be completed with service available by mid-2022. This project will service Duntroon and Glen Huron.
Rogers Communications was awarded a contract to deploy fibre-optic cabling along 15 kilometres of underserviced roads expanding its network to New Lowell. The $1.8 million FTTH solution will deliver high-speed connectivity to 422 households and businesses. Construction is expected to begin in January 2021 and be completed by March 2022.
“As a region with a diverse range of rural and urban communities, access to reliable, high-speed connectivity is essential, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic as many of our businesses and residents are adapting to a new virtual environment,” said Warden George Cornell. “We are grateful to the federal and provincial governments, as well as our future private-sector partners, for their generous investment in expanding broadband connectivity in our region.”
“County council has been a strong supporter of SWIFT from the outset, and today these collaborative efforts paid off for the residents and businesses of Simcoe County. It’s important to recognize past and present Councillors, municipal staff and partners who have worked for many years to make SWIFT a reality.”
As a result of SWIFT’s competitive tendering process, the total County project value increased by 47 per cent, delivering an additional $13 million in infrastructure investments.
The newly announced projects will collectively service approximately 500 kilometres of roadway across 60 communities within Simcoe County.
The project was funded by a joint federal and provincial infrastructure funding program. Municipal partners and private sector investors have also supported improved access to broadband services across the region, including the County of Simcoe, which has provided approximately $2.5 million in funding to SWIFT since 2015.