PUSLINCH – Questions remain about who will swallow the cost of installing high-speed internet Puslinch.
While hundreds of homes and businesses in and around Puslinch remain eligible for increased access to high-speed internet as a part of a provincial government funding initiative, a new report said staff are unsure whether the installations not covered by the grant will be granted the same service free of charge.
This follows an announcement from the provincial government in 2021 that it would spend up to $14.7 million under the Improving Connectivity for Ontario (ICON) program to increase access to high-speed Internet- earmarking $616,345 to provide better internet in Puslinch.
"We still have problems," said staff, during the meeting. "This grant stuff has been great but we still have gaps."
Currently split between two providers: Rogers and Standard Broadband, the funding is estimated to provide up to 374 homes and businesses in Puslinch with better Internet.
While Standard Broadband received earlier grant funding for some work in Morriston, most of its work has been done at their initiative and cost and they are currently charging customers $750 for installation.
As for Rogers, staff assume it would extend the same financial terms to their non-grant customers as they would their grant customers but are currently unaware whether the free installation is a short-term offer.
The report also noted an ongoing lack of communication with Rogers and requested the company provide information regarding the identification of areas that may not be served by the two providers
"This will make a difference in how this is communicated to the community. If someone realizes it's cheaper to get internet installed now than later, maybe they would make that decision," said staff, during the meeting. "It's about empowering people to make the right decisions for themselves."
The entire project is anticipated to be complete by the end of 2024.
Staff will monitor any new information available from the service providers and will regularly update the township website accordingly.
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.
