TekSavvy and the Municipality of Chatham-Kent in Southwestern Ontario, have announced today plans to jointly develop a high-speed fibre broadband network.
The new network will see TekSavvy connect over 38,000 businesses and residences in the region, beginning with Chatham, followed by expansion to Blenheim, Ridgetown, Tilbury, and Wallaceburg.
“TekSavvy is excited to build an open-access fibre network in our hometown, Chatham, and surrounding areas, and our agreement with the Municipality is an important milestone,” said Marc Gaudrault, CEO for TekSavvy, in an issued statement to iPhone in Canada.
The new project will see TekSavvy invest up to $26 million over 1.5 years for its fibre network in the area, with construction already underway in Chatham. The first fibre-to-the-premise customers will go online later this year.
The Municipality plans to invest $6.5 million for an open-access fibre backbone to connect communities in the Chatham-Kent area.
“The Municipality recognizes that a world-class network will further spur economic growth in Chatham-Kent, and we look forward to their continued support as we build next-generation telecommunications facilities. We know our customers want higher service speeds and we want to make that happen for our community in Chatham-Kent,” added Gaudrault.
Chatham-Kent CAO Don Shropshire said he was heartened that local company TekSavvy is bringing advanced communications services to the community.
TekSavvy is Canada’s largest independent internet service provider, where it has been headquartered in Chatham for 20 years.
