Many rural residents of Grey County without high-speed internet will be able to receive it within the next year.
That’s the promise made by John Maduri — the CEO of Barrett Explore.
Barrett bought some of the assets of Everus Communications, which had a contract to expand broadband internet service throughout the County but went bankrupt last year.
Maduri says Barrett has since spent about 140 thousand dollars to upgrade Everus equipment that it has retained in the deal.
Some Everus towers were not maintained but Maduri says they will erect towers to take their places.
Maduri says by next fall — Barrett’s work will be complete and wireless high-speed internet will be available to more than 84 hundred households in Grey County that don’t already have it.
The project will cost approximately 3.1 million dollars.
The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs will pay 1 million, Grey County will spend 100 thousand dollars and the other two million will be an investment by Barrett.
Maduri says they are also committing an additional 5 million dollars toward future capital and operating expenses in the next five years.
Although Barrett will not be able to reach every household in Grey with its wireless coverage, it is planning to expand its satellite technology and have it be available to the entire county.
And Maduri says the satellite service will be “fourth generation” technology — leapfrogging what’s available now even in urban centres.
