Ontario Government Bringing High-Speed Internet Access to Peterborough County

The Ontario Government is bringing another expansion of high-speed internet across Peterborough County announced by MPP Dave Smith at the Douro-Dummer Township Fire & Rescue Department Station 4 on Friday morning.

The Ontario government has committed over $950 million to nearly 190 broadband, cellular and satellite projects to date, bringing faster internet access to over 375,000 homes and businesses across the province. Photo by Luke Best.

In attendance with Smith was J. Murray Jones, Warden of Peterborough County and Mayor of Douro-Dummer and Coun. Heather Watson.

Townships affected by the investment include Trent Lakes, Havelock-Belmont-Methuen, Douro-Dummer, Selwyn and North Kawartha. The Ontario Government wants to connect the entire province by end of 2025.

“We live in an increasingly interconnected and digital world, and we cannot allow our small rural communities fall behind,” said MPP Dave Smith. “Students depend on high-speed internet to learn and our farmers and small businesses need access to reliable service to remain competitive and showcase their products.”

The provincial government estimates around 9,000 remaining homes and businesses without high-speed internet in Peterborough County. Within that number, there are 1,350 in Selwyn, 1,640 in Trent Lakes, 2,380 in Havelock and 1,870 in Douro-Dummer that will benefit from the upgrade according to Smith.

He adds that customers can expect to receive high-speed Internet within 30 to 60 days.

“The infrastructure is almost completely in place now,” Smith explained. “It'll (high-speed internet) be offered to all of those residents, the tower itself has been upgraded and it's ready to go. It's just a matter of those final small pieces of hardware and then making that the offer out to customers.”

Clients will have a choice between Rogers Communications Canada, Xplornet Communications Inc. and Bell Canada to access the high-speed internet. Those companies have signed an agreement with the province to bring high-speed internet access to homes and businesses in the county as stated by Smith.

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