Nearly 200 homes and businesses in the Deka and Sulphourus Lake area now have access to high-speed internet following the completion of a $157,725 upgrade by ABC Communications.
The upgrade was also funded, in part, through the Connecting British Columbia program.
“This new investment from the province is very important for the next stages of our broadband belt within the province,” said Falko Kadenbach, vice-president of ABC Communications who funded the other half of the project costs. “Our 100 Mile House staff are truly heroes. They worked tirelessly to upgrade service for the Deka Lake community this fall despite the very challenging construction requirements they faced.”
The upgrade to the wireless network means residents in the community are now able to access the internet at download speeds of 50 megabits per second.
That is enough to stream high-definition videos, work remotely or run a home business.
Ravi Kahlon, Parliamentary Secretary for Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, visited 100 Mile House on Dec. 2., to launch the newest phase of the Connecting British Columbia program.
Related: $50 million available for rural high-speed internet projects
This funding intake will help rural, remote and Indigenous communities experience the benefits of high-speed internet.
A similar announcement was made in Dec 2018 when the Connecting British Columbia program project was first announced.
Read more: High-speed internet announced for Deka Lake, Clinton and Wells
ABC Communications was aiming to have this upgrade completed by March 2020. The upgrade came sooner for Deka and Sulphurous Lake residents.
“Deka Lake and Sulphurous Lake are prime examples of the difference that Connecting British Columbia funding can make to communities,” said Kahlon. “The arrival of high-speed internet will help the community build a stronger economy by enabling local businesses and entrepreneurs to grow their operations and reach clients both locally and globally.”
Kadenbach said there is a large footprint that is being worked on in order to develop internet services.
“We look forward to working in new areas that we have not touched on yet and to continue being invested in areas that we are still currently underserving,” said Kadenbach.
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