High-speed internet access is one step closer to the doors of many Norfolk County residents.
Rogers Communications Canada will be laying approximately 1,747 kilometers of underground fiber to bring high-speed internet to nearly 9,100 homes and businesses not already serviced by 50 Mbps (megabytes per second) internet.
It’s anticipated that one-third of all construction will be completed by the end of 2022 with the balance to be finished in 2023 Further details concerning the construction schedule will be announced as they become available.
Mayor Kristal Chopp said the announcement, which was made Thursday, is “incredibly exciting” for Norfolk County’s future.
“Not only have the changes imposed by the pandemic highlighted the need for increased broadband access as each of us shifted to working and learning from home, but in a community powered by modern agriculture, it is clear that even the farmers in Ontario’s Garden need high -speed fiber internet for their continued growth and success,” Chopp said.
The project in Norfolk is part of a nearly $4 billion provincial government plan to deliver reliable high-speed internet access across Ontario by the end of 2025.
An estimated $171 million of the provincial funding was awarded to Rogers to expand internet access to various communities including Norfolk.
The county’s support for the initiative was a catalyst for Rogers putting this application forward, a statement announcing the project issued by the county said.
“This was a huge political topic here in Norfolk, but I want to thank council for stepping up and recognizing how crucial this is for our community by supporting this application when the opportunity was presented to council in February 2021,” Chopp said.
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