Project Title:

Campbell River Broadband Network

Project Organization:

City of Campbell River

Project Investment:

  • Island Coastal Economic Trust: $47,584
  • City of Campbell River: $116,498
  • Total Budget: $173,000

Project Highlight:

This project is the first municipal open access broadband network on Vancouver Island.

Many businesses, including traditional resource-sector industries like forestry or mining, have become high-tech operations that need to digitally transfer huge amounts of data like 3D renderings, detailed maps or other geographic information. The challenge faced by these businesses, in communities like Campbell River, is the high cost of connecting to the existing fibre optic internet backbone.

The new “open access” municipal broadband network in Campbell River provides businesses in the downtown core with affordable access to high-speed internet. An “open access” network allows multiple internet service providers to use municipally-owned infrastructure to provide services directly to businesses, increasing competition and lowering costs. Funds will be used to complete an existing broadband ring and to set up a co-location space for service provider companies. Income generated through lease fees paid by private sector service providers are used to make “last mile” access more affordable to support business productivity and growth.

The Municipal Broadband Network supports the continued diversification of Campbell River’s economy, particularly the attraction of tech sector businesses or other businesses that rely on significant data transfer in their daily operations.  As the first municipal open-access broadband network on Vancouver Island, this project also serves as a best-practices model for other Island and Sunshine Coast communities. The project was completed in June of 2018.

Island Coastal Economic Trust funded this project on 2018 through the Investment Readiness program.