On Monday August 24, The Township of Lake of Bays including Mayor Terry Glover, CAO Bryan Brown, and Superintendent of Public Works Steve Peace, met with Muskoka District Chair John Klinck, Muskoka District Commissioner of Engineering and Public Works James Steele as well as President of a communications contracting company and a local Internet Service Provider (ISP) Matthew Young at the Municipal office in Dwight to discuss broadband accessibility in the Township of Lake of Bays.
The goal of the meeting was to bring together an industry expert and regulation overseers to hold open discussions focused on overcoming barriers and roadblocks that ISPs face when it comes to the expansion and implementation of Fiber infrastructure throughout the area.
“The reason we’re having discussions is there needs to be some tweaks to get broadband fiber up and down the road” said Mayor Terry Glover. “We’ve hit a bit of a knot in discussion looking at policy and how we can do this, so we’re very excited to have this gathering today”
The meeting progressed to on-site visits of some key Lake of Bays roads and communities where the President of SPY Underground Cable & Communications, Matthew Young went over the processes of laying fiber infrastructure with those in attendance, as well as the challenges faced both on an industry and a municipal level.
Access and High Speed has been a significant focus point for council and is a key priority of the Strategic Work Plan (2019-2022) which establishes a road map to guide decision making in the Township of Lake of Bays.
This meeting was yet another step for municipal Public Works and ISPs to come together and discuss issues surrounding future fiber infrastructure implementation across Lake of Bays and throughout Muskoka and to continue working with internet service
providers and funding partners to help bring accessible, affordable high-speed broadband to the area.
“We’re hearing loud and clear, administrations across Muskoka that they want to do everything they can. It leads to not only the best situation for the homeowner but it’s a better situation for the community as well. People will spend more time here if their internet is superior” – John W. Klinck, Muskoka District Chair
High-Speed Fiber Internet in Lake of Bays is the goal!
Mayor Terry Glover giving us an update on the work being done to overcome barriers and roadblocks that ISPs face when it comes to the expansion and implementation of Fiber infrastructure throughout the area. pic.twitter.com/Lu7AK1Nj3K— Township of Lake of Bays, Muskoka (@LakeofBaysTwp) August 30, 2022
