Installation of new communications infrastructure throughout the city looks positive for the optics of Powell River being a great place to live and work.
Mayor Dave Formosa announced the city’s connection with Telus and its fibre optics rollout at the end of the December council meeting.
In a follow-up interview, Friday, January 16, Formosa said he is excited the city worked diligently to secure Powell River as a leading client for Telus in its BC fibre optics initiative.
“It’s not something that is going to be offered everywhere,” Formosa said. He believes only three per cent of British Columbia has this fibre optic capability.
“It really puts us at the forefront of being technologically connected to the world,” he said. “With our business plan, our resident attraction program and our economic revitalization plan, this fits right in. It’s the icing on the cake.”
Formosa said the opportunity for fibre optic networks was not offered to every community in British Columbia and that Powell River had to negotiate its way in.
“I was happy that happened,” he said.
Formosa added that he had originally reported the fibre optic network currently being installed throughout Powell River was a $1.5- to $2-million technological investment by Telus but the actual figure is $16 million. He added there will be 25 to 45 workers in Powell River setting up the fibre optic network until August.
While the installation of the lines and network provides local economic stimulus, Formosa said more than anything, Powell River can attract people to the community who need the Internet as their source of work, such as game creators, or engineers with huge digital files.
“We can go after databanks,” he said. “I was told that this fibre optic network will handle databanks. As a city, we’d like to get into that business, given that we have seclusion and isolation, because security is a big deal for that industry. We have low-cost real estate, lots of power, and now we’ll have the connectivity. We can start chasing that more vigorously.”
Tony Geheran, senior vice-president of Telus and president of the company’s broadband networks, said the existing infrastructure in Powell River was unable to support the services that users require today and increasingly rely on so alternatives were explored.
“We looked at what was the best medium and fibre is by far and away the most flexible medium for us to provide,” he said. “It’s the more costly for us to provide in the short term but ultimately, it’s infinitely flexible.”
Geheran said whether customers can make a 100-megabit-per-second download in August or one-gigabit-per-second download next year, Telus will have made the investment that will provide that level of access for the user.
He said Powell River is at the forefront of Telus fibre optic installation in BC.
Subscription costs for the new service will vary, depending on whether the consumer uses the fibre optic connection for the Internet solely, or whether they want to bundle that service with television and a landline. Geheran said pricing will likely be a small increment more than the current rate and the system will provide a lot more speed.
Plans call for having the first fibre subscriber area to light up in early April, with the installation to be completed by August.
Formosa said this project wasn’t a “slam-dunk”. There was an initial effort to have Powell River connected to the fibre optic network and the city was bypassed. Formosa gave credit to city senior staff, especially Mac Fraser, chief administrative officer, for putting together a second successful bid for the high-speed connection.
Geheran said communities that receive fibre optic connections see an upward economic boost as a result.
“It does attract investment and knowledge workers, plus telecommuters who are looking for a lifestyle that you can have here in one of the best places you would ever want to live,” he said. “Powell River will be as well connected on the grid as any downtown core anywhere in North America. There is no disadvantage.”
Currently, this service is only offered to residents within the city. To see a map detailing the coverage of fibre optic connection within the city area, visit Telus's website for the community.
