Project Update

Additional funding has been announced by the province to further support the construction of broadband Internet in Simcoe County.  Tiny Township will lead this next phase of Rural Connections with County staff providing technical and project management support.  We are in the process of validating the remaining areas of the County that require high speed Internet, and based on that analysis, we will finalize plans for this second phase.  Please register on our web site to indicate your interest in acquiring high speed Internet service in your area.

Meanwhile, Bell Aliant is nearing completion of the construction portion of our earlier project.  According to their revised plan, all sites should be active by February, 2011.  Following that, they will be undertaking a review of the coverage to ensure that service is established as per the Rural Connections contract which specifies over 95% availability across Simcoe County.  Again, it is very important that you register on our web site if Bell has not been able to provide you with a reliable Wimax based service.  We will be providing them with a list of customers who still require their attention.

Since officially launched in December 2009, the Rural Connections Program has enabled hundreds of citizens to access high speed internet services in rural areas of the County.  With the next phase of the project, we’re hoping to reach even more.

For more information, potential Bell customers should go to www.bell.ca or call 1-866-242-0008 and specify Wimax service.

Rural Connections Program Background

The County of Simcoe’s application to the Rural Connections Broadband Program was approved by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) late in 2009.  Through that initiative, the provincial government will fund up to $1 million to encourage the building of high speed Internet infrastructure in rural, under serviced areas of Simcoe County.  An additional component of the program aims to provide community outreach through information sessions and training workshops to help both residents and businesses to maximize their use of the new facilities as they come on-line.  In Simcoe County, we conducted several information sessions and provided free Internet training sessions for the public in the first half of 2010.

Collaborating with the County led project are the member municipalities of Adjala-Tosorontio, Bradford West Gwillimbury, Clearview, Essa, New Tecumseth, Tay, Tiny, Severn, Springwater and Oro-Medonte.  The Simcoe Community Access Network (SCAN), the Library Co-operative, the Small Business Enterprise Centres, and the Community Futures Development Corporations will also assist with the project.

This project is vital to building strong communities within the County as both residents and businesses are becoming more reliant on broadband Internet for their daily activities.  This project has been beneficial in many areas such as:

  • Improved connections to web-based government services at all levels
  • Faster access to a growing list of on-line library resources
  • Broader opportunities for businesses to establish themselves throughout the County
  • Telecommuting provisions to accommodate home-based employment
  • Improved student access to web-based resources for homework and distance education
  • Support for healthcare professionals and patients seeking medical information and services
  • Overall contribution to the quality of life in Simcoe County

The project targets under serviced areas right across the County.  Based on a survey of residents conducted last spring and service data provided by local ISPs, we were able to identify several gaps in service availability.  Through a competitive Request for Proposal (RFP), proponents were invited to develop and submit comprehensive communications infrastructure plans that would target those areas and serve the residents and businesses in under serviced areas.  The successful proponent, Bell Aliant has worked with partners Inukshuk and Bell Canada to implement the project over the past year.  County staff are overseeing the project to ensure that OMAFRA objectives are met and the vendor commitments are achieved.