Completed SWIFT project connects over 300 homes, businesses and farms to high-speed internet in rural Dufferin County

April 28, 2022 · 0 Comments

Written by PAULA BROWN

LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER

In rural Dufferin County the need for fast and reliable internet has become an increasingly apparent issue.

While the roll out of infrastructure has been slow, more rural residents in Dufferin County could soon find themselves better connected to high-speed internet.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced on April 20 that construction on a broadband network in partnership with Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) Inc. had been completed. The broadband network will connect more than 300 homes, businesses and farms in Mansfield to reliable high-speed internet.

“The County of Dufferin has been a long-standing partner in the SWIFT program, and it is exciting to see years of effort coming to fruition,” said Dufferin County Warden, Wade Mills. “Reliable high-speed connectivity can no longer be seen as anything but an essential service and with the completion of the Mansfield project, we are one step closer to having broadband throughout the County.”

Between the federal and provincial government, more than $2.3 million has been invested to expand broadband in Dufferin County. The Ministry said shovels will soon be in the ground to bring high-speed internet to over 640 additional homes, business, and farms by November 2022.

“I know firsthand how important high-speed internet access is for families and businesses in our community and throughout rural Ontario,” said Sylvia Jones, MPP for Dufferin-Caledon. “They need these services to do their work – whether it’s schoolwork or running a business.”

Communities in the next expansion include Redickville, Honeywood, Black Bank, Ruskview, Terra Nova, Kilgorie, Horning’s Mills, Whitfield and Springwater Lakes.

The Ontario government has promised to bring access to high-speed internet to every region in the province by the end of 2025.