Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) has announced progress on a number of projects that will bring broadband Internet access technology to thousands of households and businesses across Southwestern Ontario.

On December 9, it announced that construction began on $4.3 million worth of projects to augment connectivity in the Township of Southgate and the Municipality of West Grey. The group funded a project being delivered by EH!tel Networks that will expand the provider’s high-speed network to more than 1,000 household and businesses in the communities of Holstein, Varney, Orchardville, Yeovil, Dromore, Tartan and Thistle.

“This project is of vital importance to us,” said EH!tel Networks president and CEO Antonius Peeters. “Since COVID, our existing wireless networks are strained. Initiating fibre construction will provide prompt capacity relief and give us a jump start for 2021.”

SWIFT has awarded $2.7 million in federal and provincial funding to support the $4.3 million joint venture that will use a combination of both fibre and wireless technologies to significantly expand broadband access within the township and throughout the municipality. The new high-speed project is expected to be completed by mid-2021.

“It’s exciting to see this newly funded network being rolled-out at an accelerated rate,” said SWIFT executive director Barry Field. “EH!tel Networks was able to fast-track this project and move up their construction date in an effort to quickly begin to address connectivity challenges within the Grey County communities.”

SWIFT also announced on December 11 that it has awarded $41.1 million worth of contracts to support the construction of six fibre-to-the-home broadband infrastructure projects across Simcoe Country. The projects will bring improved service to more than 12,700 households and businesses.

The agreement will see funding allocated to four providers.

Bell Canada has been awarded $32 million in funding to support three fibre-to-the-home projects. The projects will 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 will be completed with service available by mid-2022.

Vianet has been awarded $5.8 million to deploy fibre cabling along more than 73 kilometres of underserved roadway throughout the towns of New Tecumseth and Bradford West Gwillimbury and within the Township of Adjala-Tosorontio to deliver high-speed internet to 1,207 businesses and homes. Construction is expected to be completed with service available early-2022.

Cogeco Communications will receive $1.5 million in funding to deploy fibre-optic cabling along 19 kilometres of underserviced roads within the Township of Severn. The project will deliver high-speed connectivity to 467 households and businesses by late-2022.

Finally, Rogers Communications was awarded a contract worth $1.8 million to deploy fibre-optic cabling along 15 kilometres of underserviced roads in the Township of Clearview. The project will deliver high-speed connectivity to 422 households and businesses by early-2022.

SWIFT is a non-profit regional broadband project initiated by the Western Ontario Wardens’ Caucus to subsidize the construction of high-speed broadband networks across Southwestern Ontario. The projects it has announced are part of the organization’s $209-million broadband expansion plan that aims to bring better broadband access to approximately 50,000 underserved homes and businesses across Southwestern Ontario.