Mayor’s Monday Mailbag – Nov. 29, 2021 – What is the Timeline for the Burlington Rural High-Speed Internet Project?

Welcome to the Mayor’s Monday Mailbag, an initiative Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward and the Mayor’s Office has launched to share weekly answers to questions from the public we’ve received through our main email inbox at mayor@burlington.ca or the Mayor’s social media platforms.At the end of the month, we’ll publish a roundup of those most pressing questions we’ve received in the weeks prior.Mayor’s Monday Mailbag – Nov. 29, 2021QUESTION:“What is the timeline for the Burlington Rural High-Speed Internet Project and what has been causing delays?”ANSWER:Highspeed, broadband Internet is a necessity for Burlington residents in the rural areas. The pandemic and many residents working from home has highlighted the need for improved services.A project with several stakeholders is underway to improve Internet access for Burlington’s rural residents.The following is an update given by Ward 6 Councillor Angelo Bentivegna at the City’s Rural Advisory Committee on Nov. 17, 2021 regarding Internet Access Solutions’ project component:

• A funding extension has been requested and conditionally approved to July 2022;
• After a number of revisions, the City has received a complete application submission as of Nov. 4, 2021;
• Over this whole process, the City was proactively reviewing plans and drawings in parallel to minimize future revisions;
• The City has been assisting the Internet providers with other external agencies (Halton Region, Conservation Halton and the Niagara Escarpment Commission) to coordinate and expedite the processing of permits to be issued to allow this work to proceed**;
• Based on those discussions with the land-use authorities, the City is expecting to receive permits early in 2022;
• Work will start in the spring with hopes of a July completion; and
• Forestry staff have been working with IASL to meet their timelines.

**Niagara Escarpment Commission policies do not apply to all areas of the project.The City has set up a dedicated webpage to track the progress on the installation of rural broadband. You can subscribe to receive updates when new information is added here: www.burlington.ca/en/services-for-you/rural-internet-installation.aspRELATED LINKS:

• Mayor’s Monday Mailbag – Nov. 22, 2021 – What is the City of Burlington Doing to Address Housing Needs & Opportunities?
• Mayor’s Monday Mailbag – Nov. 15, 2021 – What is Happening with the former Robert Bateman HS site? I’m Hearing Rumours.
• Mayor’s Monday Mailbag – Nov. 8, 2021 – Why did the OLT Approve the 29-Storey Tower at Lakeshore & Pearl?
• Mayor’s Monday Mailbag – Nov. 1, 2021 – When Will the Loose-Leaf Collection Program Begin?
• Mayor’s Mailbag – October 2021 Roundup – Noise from Loud Vehicles, Complaints About Council Decision or Council/City Conduct, & Halloween Provincial Guidelines
• Mayor’s Mailbag – September 2021 Roundup – National Day for Truth & Reconciliation, Where Should I Direct my City-Related Questions, & Changes to Noise Regulation of Transportation of Goods
• Mayor’s Mailbag – August 2021 Roundup – Mixed vaccines & travel, Memorializing a loved one, & Construction hours of operation
• Mayor’s Monday Mailbag — July 2021 Roundup — Fireworks regulations, Millcroft Greens development, lifting of mask mandate & high-rises at Holland Park site
• Mayor’s Monday Mailbag — June 2021 Roundup — Development applications, vaccine supply & gunk on the beach

—*Posted by John Bkila, Mayor’s Media and Digital Communications Specialist