Tbaytel nets $750,000 from NOHFC

THUNDER BAY -- The province thinks everyone in Ontario deserves access to high-speed internet.

It's the reason the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund gave nearly $750,000 to Tbaytel, part of the company's $2 million plan to bring fibre optics to four communities around Thunder Bay.

"We think it's absolutely a priority not just for residents, although that's very important part of the dynamic but for businesses as well to make ourselves as competitive as possible," Northern development minister Michael Gravelle said after making the announcement Friday morning.

While not every part of Fort William First Nation, Shuniah, Oliver-Paipoonge and Neebing will see the state-of-the-art broadband connection, Tbaytel president Dan Topatigh said the company is making a start with more than 2,000 homes and the potential for more connections in the future.

Covering vast distances, Topatigh said getting funding form the NOHFC makes it easier for the company to make a business case for hooking rural areas up with high-speeds. In some cases homes will go from having no service at all to fibre optics.

"For the others we're really enhancing the services they get," he said.

Connectivity will help bring prosperity to Fort William First Nation chief Peter Collins said. Right now there are parts of the community without service. Fibre will open up opportunity for everyone from someone at home looking to further their education to small businesses looking to start up.

"This is important that all of our community is up to speed," he said.

Expansion is set to begin within the end of the year.