A funding boost from different levels of government to increase access to high-speed Internet in Essex County.
The federal and provincial governments are investing over $5.3 million to bring reliable high-speed Internet to 3,587 families, farms, and businesses in the region.
It's a 50/50 split from both levels of government.
The governments have partnered with Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) Inc. to provide the updated service to residents in a number of communities, including:
- Edgars
- Gesto
- Marshfield
- Pleasant Valley
- Arner
- East Harrow
- Ambassador Beach
- Levergood Beach,
- Belcreft Beach
- Comet
- Seymour Beach
- Lypps Beach
- Mount Carmel
- Wigle
- Blytheswood
- Oakland
- Staples
The announcement marks the completion of two more projects under SWIFT, and builds on the province's plan to get the right infrastructure in the right places so people can live, work and farm where they want.
The contracts to expand broadband services in Essex County were awarded by SWIFT, a not-for-profit corporation initiated by local municipalities to address connectivity in Southwestern Ontario.
Essex MPP Anthony Leardi says bringing high-speed Internet to underserved areas in Essex County is an investment that will bring new opportunities.
"People are turning to the Internet more and more to complete their business transactions, so it's really important for people who are engaging in business. It's also important for students who are trying to do their homework. Oftentimes they want to do a little extra research online, and they should have access to high-speed Internet so they can complete that. It's going to make life more meaningful for people," he said.
Leardi says this funding is part of a multi-billion dollar project to spread high-speed Internet right across Ontario.
"The province of Ontario is investing $4 billion to bring Internet access to every corner of the province. We want to have high-speed Internet access everywhere by the end of 2025. So if you don't have it in this round of announcements, you're going to have it by the end of 2025."
Leardi says this is all about extending opportunity and reliability to some of the most rural areas of Essex County.
"The built up areas in LaSalle, Amherstburg, Kingsville and Essex, they already have high-speed Internet," he continued. "But it's the rural areas along the concessions roads and along the hard to reach areas that are hard to deliver the service to."
Windsor-Tecumseh MP Irek Kusmierczyk says in an increasingly digital age, investments toward reliable high-speed internet such as the one made into the project being celebrated today are also investments into the well-being of Canadians today and for generations to come.
""Having an internet connection increases opportunities for jobs and education for Canadians and increases their connectivity to others around the globe," he added.
Officials say the newly installed infrastructure is expected to have a lasting positive impact on the communities and region, fostering economic growth and providing residents with increased access to online resources and opportunities.