SWIFT

Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) is a non-profit regional broadband project initiated by the Western Ontario Wardens' Caucus and delivered in partnership with member municipalities and the government of Ontario and Canada to subsidize the construction of an open-access, high-speed broadband network in Southwestern Ontario, Caledon a... nd the Niagara Region. The goal of the SWIFT initiative is to enable the expansion of fibre-optic networks by lessening the financial burden on service providers that have determined that it is too expensive to build-out Internet infrastructure in areas where the distance between customers is too great. As a result, SWIFT will be directing government and private sector investment into fibre-optic broadband infrastructure in underserved areas within its project region. The project model ensures that funding is used to directly benefit areas that do not have access to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications (CRTC) universal service objective of 50 Mbps download/10 Mbps upload for fixed broadband services. SWIFT's network will be built, owned and operated by Telecom Service Providers (TSPs), with subsidies and oversight by the SWIFT Board of Directors. The project approach strives towards the overarching goals of narrowing the digital divide and making small-town Ontario more competitive in the information economy. Who does SWIFT represent? SWIFT represents the collective interest of the Western Ontario Wardens' Caucus (WOWC) , an organization comprised of 15 upper and single tier municipalities in Southwestern Ontario. WOWC's municipalities collectively represent approximately 300 communities, and almost half a million square kilometres of territory, more than 90% of it rural. The SWIFT initiative has also partnered with the Town of Caledon, Niagara Region, the Region of Waterloo, the City of London and the City of Windsor and is supported by many First Nation communities within the project area. Additionally, non-municipal members include school boards, ...Read More