Ontario Construction News staff writer
The Regional Municipality of Durham has been awarded funding for a broadband project to expand fibre-to-the-premise (FTTP) technology to rural homes and businesses in 10 underserved communities.
Funding comes from the federal and provincial governments through the Universal Broadband Fund—a $3.225 billion fund for broadband infrastructure projects that bring high-speed internet to rural and remote households.
Durham has partnered with Vianet to deliver FTTP technology to businesses and residents.
Rural homes, businesses and institutions across 10 Durham Region communities will benefit, including: Ashburn (Balsam, Glen Major, Chalk Lake), Uxbridge (Silver Spring Crescent), Leaskdale (Victoria Corners), Sunderland (Blackwater), Greenbank (Saintfield), Manchester, Myrtle (Myrtle and Myrtle Station), Columbus, Raglan (Raglan and Shirley) and Courtice (south Courtice).
“Vianet is extremely excited about this opportunity to partner with Durham Region and Durham OneNet Inc. on this expansive fibre optic network build in the rural area of Durham. We look forward to moving this project along to give those homes and businesses access to high-speed internet they so desperately need.
Design work for the project began in mid-2022 and construction began in November 2022. The project will be constructed in phases, with the final phase expected to be completed by December 2025. This project totals nearly $30 million of investment in Durham Region and will help bridge the digital divide.
To learn more about broadband, current projects, service providers and more, visit DurhamOneNet.ca.
“Residents and businesses in Durham Region have made it clear that they need high-speed broadband connectivity,” said John Henry, regional chair. “The Region is proud to partner with the provincial and federal governments to fund further development of broadband infrastructure in Durham.
“This project, delivered by Durham OneNet Inc., will help connect residents, farms and businesses in rural areas with the essential high-speed services they need to live, work and thrive in Durham.”
In 2019, Durham Region launched the Durham Region Broadband Strategy – Connecting our Communities to bridge the digital divide and bring Durham Region up-to-speed with some of the best-connected communities in the world.