Lightning fast internet strikes as system powered up

By Ken Johnston
Editor

Can you hear me now? Better yet... Is that fast enough for you?
Last week all four of the new broadband towers were officially turned on in the west end of the Rainy River District, effectively providing affordable wireless high speed internet to Barwick, Burditt, Bergland, Deerlock, Morson and Pinewood areas. The new towers also saw consumers in Rainy River and Fort Frances benefit from lower prices for the service which was already available there.
For as little as $43.95 per month residents will be able to get high speed wireless internet in the said areas. This is thanks to four new towers having been added to Thunder Bay Telephone’s existing network of cell phone and broadband towers. The new towers were constructed last year in Morson, Bergland, Pinewood and Deerlock.
The initial push for expanded services came when the Morson Women’s Institute began calling on government to support cell phone services in their community over two years ago. That started the ball rolling and with the help of Ken Boshcoff, MP, and the Rainy River Future Development Corporation, two years later and $1.2 million worth of government monies, the project is now up and running.
Cell phone coverage was added to the Morson tower over and above the broadband expansion, but was not part of the funding from the government.
Geoff Gillon of RRFDC said Monday, “I am absolutely thrilled this is up and running. It is wonderful!”
RRFDC chair Russ Fortier said Monday, “We have long believed in a fully functional broadband system for the residents of the district and I think this system will reach most of them.” Fortier added that not only is it important for safety reasons for travellers, but the new system is important for e-commerce opportunities here. “Now we have this out of the way the next announcement I hope will be for the abbatoir.”
Fortier gave a great deal of the credit for this project coming to fruition to the hard work of the staff at RRFDC. “They worked hard and I am very thankful for them.”
MP Ken Boshcoff was very pleased Monday that the system is up and running pointing his praise towards the fact that a huge team approach was used and worked. “It started with people with a need but not knowing where to go in government. I served as facilitator and the team did the work.”
Boshcoff had been worried that him being in opposition would hinder the project but after 32 months in office he said he has learned how to push on “pressure points” and get things done.