(file photo/CHATNEWSToday)

By Tiffany Goodwein

Brooks broadband project continues to move forward

Jan 18, 2022 | 3:34 PM

BROOKS, AB – The City of Brooks is continuing to make progress on establishing high-speed broadband internet in the city.

Construction on BrooksNET is slated to begin in April, and it is being built in co-operation with the City of Brooks and Community Network Partners Inc.

The city contributed $5.4 million toward the project. Once it is complete, the city will own the network and various internet service providers will have access to the service, providing residents with competitive internet and TV service. The city will also generate $10 a month per customer in revenue for every household or business that accesses the service.

Chief administrative officer Alan Martens said the city became aware that they were lagging in internet service after a study showed the city was one of the most underserved communities in all of Canada.

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Martens said the lack of broadband internet has stifled economic development in the past, with companies requiring a solid internet connection choosing elsewhere to set up. Now he hopes the $5.4 million investment will yield greater returns for the city in the long run.

“We know that it is a priority when residents or people looking for a place to live and businesses looking for a place to locate the broadband connectivity is one of the major priorities in their decision making,” he said.

Once the project is complete, the City of Brooks says it will become one of the first rural communities in Canada with a high-speed internet connection capable of delivering up to 10 gigabytes per second to every home and business in the area.