Fibre optic internet is growing in use across Canada as it offers a secure, robust and rapid connection, providing the most reliable data transport system to support company needs and growth. The exponential growth in the use of the Internet over the last decade and a half has meant that Canadian’s now require more robust internet connections. Benefits aside, there are a couple of contributing factors to why Canada and more specifically Ontario have not seen more cities getting wired with fibre: access and cost. The combination of high installation costs, monthly fees and demand for a long-term contract have posed barriers for startups, small businesses and larger companies to access fibre optic technology.
Why Fibre?
Infrastructure plays an important role in building a strong community with businesses that can meet their client’s needs quickly and effectively. For businesses, fast and reliable data transferring is no longer a luxury but a necessity to grow their company. Additionally, the growth and efficiency brought about by faster connection speeds will spur job growth and talent attraction to the city. With cost being one of the biggest barriers to fibre connectivity, the LEDC and its partners put this grant in place to help offset those costs and support business growth.
Going the last mile
In 2015, the City of London in partnership with Downtown London and the London Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) proposed the Last Mile Fibre Optic Connection Grant Program to support London’s growing digital creative sector in the city’s downtown core. That proposal was accepted and the first recipient was announced in September. The first high speed fibre optic connection for the program was installed in the iconic Novacks building located at King Street and Clarence Street. web.isod.es, Vibrafusion Labs and UnLondon Digital Media Association were the first companies to benefit from fibre optic connectivity.
The grant covers 50% of the fibre installation cost to a maximum of $20,000 per building. The total amount of funding available is $220,000. Installation is being done by London’s Start.ca, who is also investing $1 million in 2015-2016 to continue expanding the downtown Fibre Optic network.
Less than 1 year later, there is a desire to expand the one-year pilot project. City staff and representatives from Downtown London and the LEDC would like to see the target area expanded to include the entire downtown rather than focusing only on the focus area of Dundas and King Street. Additionally, the program will now be available for small businesses from any industry rather than only digital creative or technology-related companies.
Getting wired
To inquire about the Last Mile Fibre Optic Connection Grant available in London, Ontario, please pick up an application in person from Kathy McLaughlin at Downtown London, located at 123 King Street. You can also visit the incentive programs section on Downtown London’s website here.
Applications are submitted in person to Graham Bailey from Planning Services at 206 Dundas Street.
You can learn more about the grant by reading:
- Ledc.com - http://www.ledc.com/news/london-companies-growing-their-bandwidth
- London Free Press - http://www.lfpress.com/2016/05/06/city-spurs-fibre-optic-expansion
SWIFT
A regional fibre-optic initiative called Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) is aiming to have all of Southwestern Ontario connected with fibre optic internet by 2040. They aim to provide 1 gigabyte service for 3,000 communities in this region for less than $100 a month. This would make fibre optic connectivity accessible to 3.5 million people across 41,286 km². The total cost of the project is estimated at $287 million and would be funded through various levels of government.
To view updates from SWIFT’s progress, please visit: http://swiftnetwork.ca/.
