15 Ontario townships to get broadband
p2pnet news view | P2P:- They’ll be saying ‘About Bloody Time!’ down in Peterborough County, Kawartha Lakes cottage country.
And they’ll be saying the same thing in 15 other municipalities in Ontario.
That’s because, with the news that Saskatchewan is to have 100% high speed Net in the background, all 15 are finally moving into the 21st century, dumping steam-driven dial-ups as part of the Ontario government Rural Connections Broadband Program.
Under it, the province will spend $8.8 million this year to help install broadband Internet infrastructure in 15 rural communities, such as Peterborough County, says Country Guide.
Given that only four weeks remain of 2008, they’ll have to move fast.
Be that as it may, in partnership with the province, the township is one of 15 rural municipalities moving forward with plans to build local broadband infrastructure, it says.
“Cheers and applause followed the announcement made by Peterborough MPP Jeff Leal yesterday in the Smith-Ennismore-Lakefield Township council chambers,” says the Peterborough Examiner.
“I think this is fabulous. I have been getting many calls from residents complaining they can’t get high-speed Internet,” said Coun. Sherry Senis.
“We’re moving into the 21st century.”
Spearheaded by Smith-Ennismore-Lakefield, Leal said, Peterborough County, including Asphodel-Norwood, Douro-Dummer, Galway-Cavendish and Harvey and Curve Lake First Nation, has been approved for funding.
North Kawartha Reeve Jim Whelan, who has been the chairman of the broadband committee, said the application filed to the province is for DSL service, ultimately upgrade to a satellite-based service.”DSL can give you 100 per cent coverage to the range that they can reach,” he said.
p2pnet was born in Lakefield and many was the time connecting and staying online was a major exercise. 
Communities receiving funding include: South Glengarry, South Stormont, and South Dundas, the Townships of Smith-Ennismore-Lakefield, Ramara and Greater Madawaska, the Counties of Simcoe, Northumberland, Middlesex, Haliburton, Grey and Frontenac, the communities of Laurentian Hills and Halton Hills, the City of Kawartha Lakes and the Bancroft and L’Amable regions.
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100% high speed Net – Saskatchewan to have 100% high speed Net, November 27, 2008
Country Guide – Ont. pledges $8.8M for rural broadband, November 28, 2008
Peterborough Examiner – More in county to get high-speed Internet, November 26, 2008
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December 1st, 2008 at 9:00 am
And who will be throttling them?
December 1st, 2008 at 11:29 am
Motherfuckers… Counties of Simcoe is like half an hour from where I live and I’m not on that list… bastards
December 1st, 2008 at 12:48 pm
if wwe got rid a Microsoft on all govt machines we could pay to have everyone to have 10 megabit internet let alone 5
December 1st, 2008 at 1:46 pm
if the entire government switch from Microsoft it would cost a fortune.
everyone will be gone on some training for 6 months and every custom application they use will need to be retooled to work.
sorry to all the linux guys out there, but a linux switch is just not practical at this point for the government, we have looked into it and the cost of switching is more than staying. Also we get a Government Discount on all the software from MS.
Linux isn’t a bad OS in-fact I use at home as dual boot option with my Windows XP.
December 2nd, 2008 at 12:53 am
What does he mean “ultimately upgrade to a satellite-based service” Satellite SUCKS! Plus its been here for ages already anyway – how’d you upgrade to something that already is available? The only thing that they should do with the money is upgrade the telephone system so that DSL can reach throughout the area and not just the lucky few new the central office or repeaters. If they are thinking of wasting money by chucking it at satellite highspeed providers like Explornet etc, then there’s no hope for us. Wireless coverage is pretty good now anyway, Omewireless/Nexicom etc, but a wired connection is the way to go for the fastest reliable. It’s good news though, just hope the people holding the purse strings do it right first time!
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:09 am
i smell something fishy going on … is someone lining their pockets?
if you’re gonna do it then do it right, provide wired DSL at full speeds or even fiber and NOT this iffy Wifi and satellite stuff of more than 300 meters. Wifi & satellite is great for less than 300 meters and fair weather but not for sustained connections