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On
February 7, 2006 as your representative I was successful in having
Halifax Regional Council approve the inclusion of the Rural Broadband
project as a priority to be considered under the Municipal Rural
Infrastructure Funding (MRIF) program. Further, Council directed staff
to investigate additional funding sources from other government agencies
and private sector parties.
In
April 2006, HRM released a Request for Proposal (RFP) to secure an
agreement with a private sector Internet
service provider to co-fund, build, manage, market and maintain
broadband internet access in the unserviced areas of the Halifax
Regional Municipality. Tenders closed in early fall 2006 and an
evaluation committee was established to select the highest ranking
proponent based on the greatest number of homes serviced for the funds
available.
In
March 2007, ACOA committed $1.1 million from the Innovative Communities
Fund for the project. HRM also confirmed that an additional $945,919 was
being invested by the Federal Government through their share of the MRIF
program, with the Province of Nova Scotia investing $607,200 as their
share of the MRIF program.
In
March 2007, Council authorized the award of the Rural Broadband RFP to
Aliant and Eastlink. Aliant completed
its rollout to approximately 4,200 homes in eastern HRM in December
2007, with their cost share contribution being $1.6 million towards the
funding of this infrastructure. Eastlink completed its rollout to
approximately 170 homes in the Peggy's Cove and West Dover areas in
January 2008, with their cost share contribution being $250,000 towards
the funding of this infrastructure. An independent wireless internet
service provider has also recently deployed service in the Musquodoboit
Valley area. As of the end of the initial Connecting HRM phase, there
are approximately 1,300 homes remaining unserved throughout HRM.
HRM
has continued to work with the Province of Nova Scotia to extend
broadband internet coverage to all unserviced regions of the
municipality and I am please to tell you today that on August 13th the
tendered contract was awarded to a new wireless internet provider,
OmniGlobe Networks, that is committed to provide high speed access to
all the unserviced homes in our municipality over the next few months,
truly making us one of the most connected regions in Canada.
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