MAPLETON – A major expansion of a fibre optic communications service is set to get underway here.
Flex Forward Contracting was awarded a contract for service expansion in Mapleton in February by communications giant Rogers.
Flex Forward officials appeared at the May 24 Mapleton council meeting to update the township on the project.
Plans call for more than 450 miles of fibre optic cable to be installed, providing access to more than 1,700 homes and businesses.
The majority of the cable will be installed underground via directional drilling.
In the presentation, Flex Forward noted the company will be launching a door knocking campaign to aid in gaining resident consent for private property conduit installation.
“Residents will be assured that all restoration on private property will be resolved by the build contractor at the time of construction or as weather allows,” Flex Forward officials state.
The company states it will work with the municipality “to identify key best practices to use when engaging with the residents of Mapleton to result in the maximum amount of signed consent forms.”
Flex Forward vice president of strategic planning Carlisle Williams said the project will bring high speed internet to a mix urban and rural areas of the township.
“It’s ideally supposed to be hitting a mix. So … when it’s identified as businesses, it’s more so talking even farms and not like a traditional business front,” he explained in a telephone interview with the Community News.
Unserviced areas targeted
Williams said the goal is to reach areas currently unserviced by high speed connections.
“That goes with the government mandate of making sure that everybody has accessible internet,” he noted.
Work on the project is expected to get underway in the next couple of weeks – by the end of June at the latest.
“I wanted to get going in June so we can get at least 70% of the build completed by the end of the construction season this year,” said Williams.
Council received the presentation for information.
