CAMPBELL RIVER, B.C. – The Strathcona Regional District and CityWest have launched a new website for their Connected Coast project.
The project will greatly improve Internet capability across coastal British Columbia, with over 3,400 kilometres of under-the-sea, high-speed fibre-optic cable being installed from north of Prince Rupert, to Haida Gwaii, south along the coast to the Vancouver terminal, then around Vancouver Island.
Up to 154 communities, including 56 First Nations communities, will be able to connect to high-speed Internet. The website will post updates on the project and inform residents on how they can utilize improved Internet speeds.
“The Connected Coast project is an amazing opportunity for coastal BC residents and will change the way rural and remote communities are able to live and communicate with the world,” said Victoria Smith, the Strathcona Regional District’s Manager of Strategic Initiatives, in a release from the SRD.
“This website will now serve as an important tool to share information about the project.” The SRD is working alongside CityWest on the Connected Coast project.
CityWest is a Northwest B.C. telecommunications company.
“We are excited to partner with the SRD on this project, which has two key benefits for us,” said Vice President of Sales & Project Management at CityWest, Donovan Dias.
“The first (benefit) is providing additional routing opportunities should service on one line be disrupted. The second is that it allows us to provide service to more communities who currently have no access.”
The website also features an option for residents to sign up for instant updates on the project. You can visit the Connected Coast website at connectedcoast.ca.