The Village of Fraser Lake mayor and council passed a resolution to enter into an agreement with CityWest to install fiber optic infrastructure. This will bring fiber optic infrastructure to every home and business within the village’s municipal boundaries.
The existing broadband service in the village falls short of the federal standard of 50 mbps download and 10 mbps upload speeds.
Mayor Sarrah Storey commented in a press release on how the new infrastructure will benefit Fraser Lake. “The Village of Fraser Lake is excited to partner with CityWest to bring fiber optic infrastructure to our community. CityWest has been amazing to work with. They understand the needs of smaller communities dealing with connectivity concerns,” she said.
“The village was able to combine grant funding to pay for their portion of the $2.1 million dollar project. There is no cost to the taxpayer to install this infrastructure right to their home or business. This is an opportunity we could not let pass us by. Bringing our community into the twenty first century, especially in this time when we connect online more than ever. This initiative is vital for our businesses and residents. We believe this will support growth and the sustainability of our community.”
Fiber optic internet services will improve the lives of residents as they conduct business, complete an education, communicate with family and friends, or using streaming services. The first step is the installation of fiber optic infrastructure. Once installed, the internet services Fraser Lake residents choose to subscribe to is up to them.
Economic Development Officer and Director of the Fraser Lake & District Chamber of Commerce Dave Christie believes that bringing fiber optic into the community will better support existing businesses and residents and provide a more attractive place to settle for future businesses and residents.
“The village conducted a broadband survey in December of 2020 with businesses located in the municipality. 83 per cent of our businesses felt the poor-quality broadband that is serving our community has hindered them from expanding their business to an online format. Fiber optic internet service will make that possible,” he said.
Construction on the project will begin late September and is expected to be completed by the end of November 2021.
