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| December 2007 |
| December 11, 2007 |
County of Lanark commences Broadband project.
Work that is expected to make high-speed Internet access available across almost all of Lanark County by next summer is already underway.
The county joined other eastern Ontario municipalities to apply for funds through the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs’ Broadband Rural Connections program, which is designed to help underserviced or unserved communities to acquire affordable high-speed Internet connectivity. Lanark County. one of 18 municipalities approved, received S233,000.
~Our role has been to bring stakeholders together. get funding and create an environment to allow this project to take place,” said County CAO Peter Wagland, who is the county’s broadband representative for the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus. “We don’t intend to build over existing service, but to reach further and fill gaps.
Storm Internet was the successful bidder in the selection process and will build, own, operate and sustain the network. The company has been providing Internet connectivity in rural and urban communities since 1996 and has more than 10.000 clients. Storm currently maintains one of North America’s largest broadband wireless networks, covering about 35,000 square kilometres in more than 50 municipalities.
“We are making a significant capital investment in this project,” said Barry Williams, Storm’s president and CEO. “We are committed to this community and we’re confident our solution to provide high-speed Internet access will cover substantially all of the county. reaching areas that have historically had little or no service.”
The first step is building the network. To form the backbone of the service, towers will be erected at specific points across the county. Some residents will be able to receive service from a nearby tower. Because of the rugged terrain in parts of the county, however, Storm will install micro nodes — or neighbourhood networks — where demand warrants. These smaller towers, located on high ground or on such things as silos or church steeples, will feed off the main towers and supply service to neighbourhoods.
To do this, Storm needs to know who wants the service. “We are developing a process in partnership with local municipalities and Storm so we can capture customer demand and determine where the towers will be located,” said Peter Kavanagh, the county broadband steering committee chair. Details of this process will be released soon.
The county’s geographical information system will also play a role in identifying areas that are underserviced or unserved.
Mr. Kavanagh noted having broadband Internet coverage doesn’t mean the service will be free. “The cost for access will be competitive with other built-up areas.” More information about Storm’s price structure can be found at www.storm.ca.
The network is expected to be completed by the end of March 2008 and it is anticipated that the service will become available during the spring and summer.
County Warden Al Lunney says improved service will help the county remain competitive and attractive to investors and residents. “We are excited about this opportunity to partner with the private sector and with local municipalities to provide a service that clearly improves quality of life for our citizens.”
The county expresses appreciation to the provincial government for recognizing the infrastructure need in their 2007 budget and looks forward to future funding opportunities to complete the project.
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| "The Mississippi Mills Chamber of Commerce encourages local business people to work together towards the attraction, building and maintenance of dynamic and successful businesses within all economic sectors. In recognition of the cultural resources of the area, the Chamber of Commerce encourages the development of mutually beneficial links between the business and cultural community." |
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