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Simcoe rural areas getting high speed internet

Still some gaps in New Tecumseth

BY Maija Hoggett, Staff January 07, 2010 15:01

SIMCOE COUNTY - With the roll out of phase one of a program bringing high speed Internet to rural areas in Simcoe County, more people are online this week.

Rural Connections is a county-wide program that is bringing broadband Internet access to rural areas, with 30 per cent of the county targeted in the first phase of the program. By April, the aim is to have 95 per cent of the county able to access broadband.

Simcoe County received $1 million in Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) funding late in 2008 for the program. Since then, Bell Alliant has signed on as the service provider. To hook up the county to high speed Internet, they are using 26 towers - with eight in use for the first roll out.

Places closer to the towers will be able to have an indoor modem, said Brian Smith, Simcoe County director of information technology. For people who are a bit further away from a tower, he said, a box is installed on an outside wall that faces the tower in order to connect.

While high-speed Internet is good for homes, it's an added tool for businesses.

New Tecumseth Mayor Mike MacEachern said not being connected is an issue the town often hears about from small businesses, especially in Tottenham, which will have the service as part of the final phase of Rural Connections.

With the first phase, much of the rural areas in the eastern section of New Tecumseth will be brought online. A gap in service will still exist in the southeast portion of the town.

In Adjala-Tosorontio, some residents north of Highway 89 will be able to connect to high-speed. For people and businesses south of Highway 89, there is only a small section of the township connected in the first phase.

Most of Essa is also able to now access either the outdoor or indoor modems.

Once the full infrastructure is in place, most rural areas south of the 5th Line of New Tecumseth should receive broadband access, as well as Loretto.

A full map of what areas are now connected in the first phase, as well as the aim of the finished project, is available online at ruralconnections.simcoe.ca.

Smith said Bell also sent out postcards to 3,000 households that are affected.

Public information meetings held this past week were well-attended, said Smith.

"There's definitely a high level of interest, which we expected," said Smith.

As for the cost, Smith said Bell's service in the Rural Connections program is comparable to the cost of cable-based or DSL-based services. While the monthly bill will depend on the package a customer chooses, Smith said the cost is generally around $50.

Signing up for Internet services is done through Bell, not the county. A full list of the services and how to register is online at www.bell.ca.

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