The Connected Coast project has begun its construction phase now that the cable-laying ship CanPac Valour has arrived, a key element in delivering high-speed internet to nearly 140 remote communities in British Columbia.

The ship will be placing subsea fibre optics cable along more than 3,400 kilometres of coastal BC. According to the provincial government, the coastal subsea network will be one of the longest in the world, reaching all the way to Haida Gwaii and around Vancouver Island.

CityWest telecommunications is managing and implementing the $45.4-million project in partnership with the Strathcona Regional District. 

Dino Tsakonas, regional manager for CityWest, explained that last-mile construction of infrastructure connecting homes on Cortes Island to the future network was rescheduled from this fall to January 2022 due to a shortage of materials. Residents who have not yet signed up can still do so, as CityWest is offering this service at no charge during the bulk installation.

The Connected Coast project was announced in 2018 and is scheduled for completion in 2023. It aims to bring high-speed internet connectivity to some 139 rural and remote coastal communities, 48 of which are Indigenous. On Cortes, the fibre optics cable will come out of the water at four locations: Seaford, Klahoose, Whaletown and Manson’s.

CityWest is working with Cortes neighbours Quadra, Denman and Hornby Islands to localize the project. Photo courtesy of Connected Coast.

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