A new company to expand the increasing high-speed fibre network along the Northcoast has been formed through a partnership between CityWest and the Gitxaala Nation, the organizations announced jointly on March 16.
Gitxaala CityWest Communications Corp. will share in profits, resulting in direct financial benefits to community members.
Lach Klan (Kitkatla) is one of 139 communities that will connect to the world through the Connected Coast network, an undersea cable project. Funded by the federal and provincial governments, the development and construction will bring backbone bandwidth to rural and remote coastal communities along the B.C. coast, the media statement read.
Linda Innes, chief councillor of Gitxaala Nation, said the high-speed fibre lines for the community would “herald in” a new area of communication.
“With the cable now brought to the community and this partnership with CityWest, we are ready to construct our own fibre-to-home network,” she said. “Virtually every opportunity for growth in the future relies on a reliable digital network. With this new partnership, Gitxaala Nation continues along the path of taking our future in our own hands.”
“The leadership at Gitxaala Nation have realized that a strong and reliable Internet connection, powered by a subsea fibre backbone, is the key to opening the door to countless opportunities for their community,” said Stefan Woloszyn, CEO of CityWest.
“We’re very excited to work together, in partnership, with such a forward-thinking team, he said.
Results of the partnership and undersea development will provide results in the next few months, they stated, with the first phase of construction for Internet services being building a “drop” from the road to the home.
Further construction updates will be released as the project commences. The Connected Coast project is co-managed by CityWest and the Strathcona Regional District.
K-J Millar | Editor and Multi-Media Journalist
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