Introduction
Township actively continues to support the installation of broadband and fibre across King, in partnership with the provincial/federal government, private service providers and other community stakeholders, since the inception of King Connects in 2017. This commitment is also a Key Action contained within our 2019-2022 Corporate Strategic Plan, within the Priority Area: Investing in Infrastructure and its associated Objective: Connecting People and Places. You can check out the Annual Progress Reports for annual progress informed by key performance indicators.
Priority Area: Investment in Infrastructure
Objective: Connecting People and Places
Key Action: Support the Installation of Broadband, Fibre and Cellular Coverage
Timeline of Projects and Initiatives
June 2023 - Yorknet and Galaxy Fibre provide presentation and info-session for King residents on the Yorknet expansion project closing the internet gaps in King. Check out the presentation HERE
June 2023 - To help close the digital divide and provide access to high-speed internet to every corner of the Region, YorkNet is embarking on a large-scale Expansion Project. The Universal Broadband Fund, together with investments from the Region and the Internet Service Provider of the project, totals nearly $120 million and will allow YorkNet to expand its network by hundreds of kilometres and reach thousands of underserved homes. Visit www. york.ca/newsroom/campaigns-projects/yorknet.
April 2023 - Ontario government launches a new interactive map making it easier for residents and businesses to learn about provincially funded high-speed internet projects across the province. Users can search the map by address, community or municipality to find project details, including information on construction status and internet service providers that will be delivering reliable high-speed internet in unserved and underserved communities.
March 2023 - Through the federal and provincial governments’ Universal Broadband Fund & together with regional partners, York Region is investing close to $120 million in combined funding into expanding York Region's dark fibre network. YorkNet, will expand the network by more than 500 km, helping to connect more than 3,800 homes and help close the digital divide. King will continue to monitor specific investments in King as more information becomes available.
October - December 2021 - As part of the CENGN Project, Rogers installed (2) towers within the Township of King and (1) in Bradford West-Gwillimbury, and their services are now available to residents within the Holland Marsh area. Residents can contact the Rogers Call Centre directly to obtain pricing and/or connection considerations.
August 2021 - MPP Stephen Lecce announced nearly $600,000 to expand access to high-speed interent for King Township families. The new investment will connect up to 262 premises in King to high-speed internet! “King families deserve access to high-speed internet, and this investment will help ensure our community is finally connected,” said MPP Lecce. “Connecting homes, schools, small businesses and communities is critical as we build a modern economy and support the next generation of innovators in Ontario. Expanding internet access to families in King was a commitment I made, and I am proud to deliver for King as we work to get every home in Ontario connected by 2025.”
- The full News Release in the King Sentinel HERE!
June 2021 - CENGN Project Overview presentation to the Township on June 23rd, 2021 regarding the high speed broadband expansions into the Holland Marsh area. The project intends to bring 5G Distribution with 60GHz wireless backhaul. Planning for this project is currently underway with installation set to commence in September (2021). Check out the full presentation below:
[For the recorded presentation cleck HERE].
March 2021 - MP for King-Vaughan Deb Schulte announced the investment of $2.27 million to bring reliable and affordable high speed Internet to even more rural residents across the Township in partnership with Vianet. The funding is being provided from the Rapid Response Stream of the Universal Broadband Fund. The communities of Pottageville, Nobleton, and Lloydtown will be the beneficiaries of the funding for this time around, which will see Vianet contribute $1.7 million. Check out the news release from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada HERE! View the Project on Vianet HERE.
[Vianet Drilling Launch - 18th Concession at Weston Road, March 2021]
March 2021 - Centre of Excellence in Next Generation Networks (CENGN) is partnering with Rogers to bring high speed broadband to the Holland Marsh area, which straddles the boundary between the Township of King and Town of Bradford West-Gwillimbury. The project is part of the CENGN's Rural Ontario Residential Broadband Program, and will serve as a model for extending high-performance internet access services into areas with wide, deep and sparsely-treed valley communities across the province. Check out the article HERE!
November 2017 - Vianet connected King Township's first customer to fibre optic Internet made possible by the Small Communities Fund provided by the Federal and Provincial governments. The presentations provided by Mayor Pellegrini, MP Deb Schulte and York Region representative Doug Linedblom during the King Connects Information Night can be found HERE. Check out the King Fibre Optic Broadband Expansion Press Release Video HERE.
March 2017 - Staff prepared the Joint Report JR-ADMIN 2017-01 Support for Connect to Innovate Application to get Council's support for the Connect to Innovate Program funding application submitted through York Region. Council was in full support of this application and staff proceeded working with York Region to submit the application to the CTI Program.
December 2016 - The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) declared broadband internet access as a basic telecommunications service and coinciding with this announcement was the introduction of a new fund to support broadband infrastructure. The federal government launched the Connect to Innovate Program to help bring connections to Canadians in rural and remote communities. A comprehensive survey of Township residents and businesses was completed to demonstrate need in King.