CityWest and the BC government are set to deliver faster internet speeds to communities within the Bulkley Valley and Lakes District.
Thanks to an $11.3 million investment, the Connecting British Columbia project will expand and upgrade broadband speeds to those living in rural areas with limited access to an essential part of daily life.
Nearly $2 million will be headed by CityWest for the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako (RDBN) and administered by Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT), and CEO Chris Marett says it’s important to understand the challenges people in the North are facing.
“With this announcement, the governments of Canada and British Columbia have opened the door to allow even more residents and businesses in the North to access fast, reliable internet,” said Marett in a statement.
“We will be providing fibre-optic infrastructure to those communities. It does include last-mile services for a few hundred houses, and we think it’s great news for CityWest, but more importantly, it’s great news for the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako,” adds CityWest Marketing Director Chris Armstrong.
“This is where all the big high-data flows through. It’s kept either underground, next to the roadway, or hung aerially on telephone wires. This will bring high-bandwidth to other organizations such as education, health, and any entrepreneurs that are out there that might want to take us on.”
Some of the highlighted communities to benefit from this new initiative include Lake Babine, the Stellat’en First Nation, and Wet’suwet’en Village.
Federal Minister of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Navdeep Bains believes high-speed internet is necessary for the morden age regardless of where we live.
“High-speed internet service is a basic tool that all Canadians should have access to. Canadians need this service to do business, upgrade their education, and build stronger communities.”
The project is expected to start later this year after more studies and engagement with local officials and experts, taking nearly three years to be fully functioning.