THE PROJECT
Though the CRTC recommends speeds of 50/10 Mbps for basic internet access, the majority of the metropolitan Winnipeg region were forced to put up with speeds much below this standard, especially in rural and Indigenous areas. Lower population density and the challenges of building infrastructure had resulted in a lack of internet service and hampered the expansion of high-speed internet networks across the region. To address this critical gap in services, this project involved building a fibre optic ring to connect rural and Indigenous communities outside of Winnipeg, establishing 6285m of critical linkage infrastructure from existing fibre optic connections in Winnipeg.
COMMUNITY IMPACT
Six communities participated in the pilot project, providing 40,000 people with internet access. This development has been a crucial step in supporting the larger goal of bringing adequate access to high-speed internet service to all the underserved communities throughout the region.
RELATED LINKS
- Visit their website
- Read CIRA’s blog, Here are five projects CIRA funded to help get more Canadians online
- The Graphic Leader article about the project
