Sturgeon County broadband update

By Grant Cree

Sturgeon County Council received an update on the Broadband Initiative Project during the February 22 council meeting. The update was provided by Jesse Sopko, Director of Sturgeon County Corporate Services, and a representative from the Canadian Fiber Optics Corporation (CFOC).

In November 2021, CFOC was awarded a contract by the County to deliver broadband services to rural residents. According to the Council meeting agenda, CFOC is experienced in designing, building and operating fast and reliable rural internet networks.

The CFOC representative reported the project is on schedule to have service to all in-scope residents and businesses by the end of this year. Residents will be invited to participate in a series of community engagement sessions this spring and summer to receive feedback from future users.

Construction activities will be based on weather and geography and will involve various work crews. CFOC emphasized they cannot yet advise when specific residents or businesses will have service. Costs related to the fibre broadband across the County will be presented to Council before this summer.

In the meantime, Sturgeon County Council continues to advocate for this initiative to secure funding from the federal and provincial governments. There will also be continued discussions with other municipalities, including Alexander First Nations.

The next steps of the project include finalizing the Phase 1 detailed design by March. The County and CFOC will partner to advertise community meetings and open houses to be held in April and May. Depending on weather considerations, Phase 1 construction is scheduled from March to December.

For more information, visit www.sturgeoncounty.ca/internet.