LAMBTON COUNTY � As part of the Ontario government�s plan to connect every community to high speed internet by 2025, more than 570 homes, farms and businesses in Lambton County will have access to high-speed internet service by December 2022, thanks to the construction of a new $6 million infrastructure network in the communities of Wanstead, Rokeby, Walnut and Sutorville.�The pandemic continues to highlight the need for families, farms and businesses to have access to high-speed internet,� said Irek Kusmierczyk, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion and Member of Parliament for Windsor�Tecumseh, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities. �This investment in Lambton County is yet another milestone in our goal of connecting every household and business in Southern Ontario and across Canada to a reliable broadband connection.�The expanded fibre-optic service is supported by the governments of Canada and Ontario, each committing up to $385,200. The contract to expand broadband services was awarded by Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) Inc, a not-for-profit corporation, initiated by local municipalities to address connectivity in Southwestern Ontario.�Our government has made access to high-speed internet a priority for rural Ontario, and we�re delivering on that commitment,� said Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. �The pandemic has demonstrated the importance of being connected to high-speed broadband. New connections like these will help families stay in touch, help people access supports they need, while providing a much-needed boost to the local economy. This is the type of critical infrastructure that benefits the entire community.�"In our modern Ontario, access to reliable, high-speed internet is equally important to rural residents and businesses as it is to those in larger urban centres," said Bob Bailey, MPP Sarnia-Lambton. "I am extremely pleased that this project will bring essential high-speed internet to more than 570 new customers in Lambton County before the year end."�Today�s announcement is a huge win for residents of Lambton County as we continue working to ensure every home in our community has access to high-speed internet,� said Monte McNaughton, MPP for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex.��This investment means more families can stay connected to their loved ones, and more shopkeepers can connect to the customers they need to grow their businesses.�More than $255 million has been invested by the governments of Canada and Ontario and the private sector, to bring high-speed internet to more than 58,000 households and businesses in Southwestern Ontario through SWIFT.�In today�s highly connected digital world, from work, school and socializing, access to fast reliable broadband connectivity is essential for families, local businesses and small-town rural communities,� said Gary McNamara, SWIFT Board Chair. �SWIFT, in partnership with the governments of Ontario and Canada, continues to drive forward with its regional broadband expansion plan to deliver greater connectivity to our region�s underserved communities. With today�s newly established fibre connections in Lambton County we move one step closer to achieving our goal of a more connected Southwestern Ontario where residents and communities can continue to grow and thrive.�
