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Better community-owned broadband coming to Dubreuilville

Township and Community Network Partners reach agreement for community-owned fibre optic network
Dubreuilville aerial
(Supplied)

Upgraded internet service is coming to Dubreuilville next month.

The Township of Dubreuilville reached an agreement in principle with a consortium led by Community Network Partners for the construction and operations of a next-generation broadband fibre optic network for the community, according to a July 26 news release.

The northeastern Ontario community of 600, located just off the Trans-Canada Highway between Wawa and White River, will become one of the first single-tier municipalities in rural Canada to own and operate its own fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network. 

The partnership will invest $1.15 million and will co-own the last-mile network connecting the township's facilities.

Construction of the network along with a community-wide pre-sales campaign starts in August. Residents can sign-up for residential and enterprise grade internet packages with our new community-based internet services provider.

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Dubreuilville has been historically plagued with poor internet service as the growth-minded municipality is out campaigning to attract families, ex-pats and new residents to the community to cater to the employment, service and supply needs of a second gold mine currently being constructed on its outskirts.

Community Network Partners will operate and service the network and has partnered with Trispec Communications to provide planning, design and project management and construction of the network.

After the initial construction phase, the network will be a private network and will be closed to third-party retail selling providers. The network will consist of both customer access and backhaul passive optical network fibre-optic broadband network access infrastructure.

“Investing in a local fibre network is not only an investment in infrastructure, it is an investment for the residents of Dubreuilville,” said Mayor Beverly Nantel in a statement. “It will improve our educational offerings in the local schools, improve access to health care and assist our local industries with attracting a skilled and diverse workforce."

Community Network Partners works with municipalities and communities to develop, own and operate private and open access broadband networks, with a focus and expertise in the rural, remote and First Nations communities across Canada.

It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Crown Capital Partners, an entity that empowers communities to develop networks that are critical to the delivery of broadband services in niche markets under long-term contracts with municipal, commercial and residential end users.