SWIFT Announces $12.8 Million RFP to Bring High-Speed Internet to More Essex County Residents

Essex County residents will soon have greater access to faster, reliable internet services thanks to a $12.8 million RFP for the expansion of broadband access announced Wednesday by Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology or SWIFT.

“We are thrilled with this announcement today, as the dedicated work of SWIFT is beginning to take shape in Essex County, ensuring residents and businesses will be provided access to fast and quality internet services,” said Essex County Warden Gary McNamara.

“We know that broadband technology is integral to our region in order to attract investment, retain talent and create opportunities for economic prosperity. This RFP is the first step to crucial connectivity across the County and we look forward to future partnerships and successes.”

Prequalified service providers have until July 31, 2020 to submit network designs and proposals to address broadband service gaps in eligible funding areas throughout the County. To identify high-quality projects, SWIFT will evaluate all eligible proposals against a predefined assessment criteria.

SWIFT is a non-profit corporation initiated by the Western Ontario Wardens’ Caucus to address connectivity issues and subsidize the construction of high-speed broadband networks across Southwestern Ontario.

“Broadband has now become a necessary utility as essential activities such as work, education, shopping and accessing public services continue to move online,” said David Mayberry, SWIFT Board Chair. “Our current reality has emphasized, more so than ever, the importance and need for greater connectivity across our region. That is why SWIFT, in partnership with the Government of Ontario and Canada, along with our municipal partners are pleased to announce that access to high-speed internet will soon be a reality for many more residents living in Essex County.”

SWIFT is currently overseeing a $209 million Southwestern Ontario broadband expansion plan that will connect 22% of the region’s underserved premises over the next 3 years. The RFP announced Wednesday is part of that expansion plan.

The Governments of Ontario and Canada have committed up to $63.7 million each to support SWIFT. The project also leverages additional funding from municipal partners and private sector investors.

Operating on a cost sharing basis, SWIFT will leverage federal and provincial funding to subsidize up to a maximum of 2/3 of the eligible costs for awarded projects to deliver reliable internet to more people living in Essex County.

When evaluating and selecting projects for funding, SWIFT takes into consideration the following: ability to provide 50 Mbps down, 10 Mbps up (50/10) service or greater, number of premises passed, future scalability of the network, and service provider contribution proportion, among other project selection factors.