The Regional Municipality of Durham yesterday announced that it has been awarded funding for a broadband expansion project to deliver fibre-to-the-premise (FTTP) technology to rural homes and businesses in 10 underserved communities across the region.
This project totals nearly $30 million of investment in Durham Region and will help bridge the digital divide.
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.
The funding has been provided from the federal and provincial governments. Support is being provided from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada through the Universal Broadband Fund—a $3.225 billion fund supporting broadband infrastructure projects that bring high-speed internet to rural and remote households; and the Province of Ontario’s Improving Connectivity for Ontario program.
The region, through its recently established broadband Municipal Services Corporation, Durham OneNet Inc., has partnered with Internet Service Provider (ISP), Vianet, as a private sector contributor, to deliver FTTP technology to businesses and residents.
Rural homes, businesses and institutions across 10 Durham Region communities will benefit from this project 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)
“Residents and businesses in Durham Region have made it clear that they need high-speed broadband connectivity. 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,” said John Henry, Regional Chair and Chief Executive Officer.
Quick Facts
- 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.
- In February 2021, the Region of Durham secured partial funding from the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) to expand broadband fibre infrastructure between Uxbridge and Pickering. The Uxbridge-Pickering link created the backbone infrastructure necessary to facilitate high-speed broadband to underserved areas.
- In December 2021, Regional Council endorsed the establishment of Durham OneNet Inc.—a wholly owned Municipal Services Corporation of the Region of Durham to build and operate a Regional Broadband Network.
- Durham OneNet Inc.’s mandate is to extend the Region’s fibre broadband network to underserved areas of Durham Region to enable improved broadband connectivity to residents, businesses and institutions, while delivering improved Regional services and driving economic development and innovation across Durham Region.