MIDDLESEX COUNTY, Ont. — Rural broadband funding organization Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) today announced it has awarded $7.5 million in contracts to support six fibre-to-the-home projects which will expand broadband service to more than 1,117 households and businesses throughout Middlesex County in southwestern Ontario.
Funding for the projects includes $4.3 million in federal and provincial funding and $3.2 million in contributions from the Internet service providers who are building the FTTH networks, which include Xplornet Communications, Start.ca, Execulink Telecom, North Frontenac Telephone Company (NFTC) and Quadro Communications.
The details of the six projects announced today are as follows:
- Xplornet has been awarded funding to service more than 36 kilometres of underserved roadway within the municipality of Thames Centre, to bring high-speed Internet access to 456 households and businesses. Construction of this $2.6-million FTTH solution is expected to be completed with service available by mid-2022.
- Start.ca is receiving funding to deploy fibre cabling along more than 21 kms of underserved roadway within the municipality of Thames Centre, delivering high-speed Internet access to 237 homes and businesses. This $1.7-million FTTH network is expected to be completed with service available by early 2022.
- Execulink Telecom has been awarded funding for two FTTH projects which will collectively service 24 kms of underserved roadway to bring high-speed broadband to 235 homes and businesses throughout the townships of Adelaide-Metcalfe and Strathroy-Caradoc and within the municipality of Middlesex Centre. The two projects represent a combined total investment of approximately $1.1 million and are expected to be completed with service available by mid-2023.
- NFTC will receive funding to deploy fibre-optic cabling along more than 16 kms of underserviced roadway within the municipality of Southwest Middlesex. This $1.5-million FTTH network will deliver high-speed connectivity to 75 households and businesses and is expected to be completed by early 2022.
- Quadro Communications was awarded a contract to deploy fibre cabling along 12 kms of underserved roadway within the municipality of Middlesex Centre. This $547,000 FTTH solution will bring high-speed Internet access to 114 homes and businesses by late 2022.
In addition to these contracts, SWIFT said further funding announcements and greater broadband expansion is anticipated for Middlesex County, pending final negotiations and approvals.
“Today’s $7.5 million broadband investment is the first of the rollout of funding announcements for Middlesex County,” said Barry Field, executive director of SWIFT, in a press release. “SWIFT has conditionally approved an additional project that would bring greater connectivity to the municipality and is expecting to finalize the pending contract in the near future.”
These newly announced projects in Middlesex County are part of SWIFT’s $209-million broadband expansion plan to bring better Internet access to approximately 50,000 underserved households and businesses across southwestern Ontario.
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