TORONTO – Toronto’s new waterfront communities will be wired with the latest in smart technology infrastructure that will make them among the most connected in the world.
Waterfront Toronto, the public development authority responsible for revitalizing Toronto’s waterfront, is partnering with telecommunications firm Beanfield Metroconnect to create Canada’s first open-access, ultra-high-speed broadband community network throughout the new waterfront communities. The developer says the infrastructure will revolutionize how residents receive telecommunications services, promote economic growth and development, and enable innovation.
“Broadband has become essential public infrastructure for 21st-century communities, and the need for faster connections delivered over more robust networks has been intensifying since the dawn of the Internet age,” says John Campbell, president and CEO of Waterfront Toronto. “This state-of-the-art network will help us establish a new hub of innovation and stimulate enduring economic growth to help Toronto remain competitive with other world-leading cities, such as Seoul, Stockholm and Tokyo, where similar broadband infrastructures exist or are now being built.”
Campbell adds, “The network we are building will enable the development of smart buildings, smart health care and smart education. Plus, it can support new applications that promote better public safety and traffic management.”
Affordable, Unlimited Access
Every home and business in the new communities will be wired with fiber and provided with affordable, unlimited access to the Internet at speeds starting at 100 Mbps for residential customers and up to 10 Gbps for commercial customers. The network will also provide full community-wide Wi-Fi service. Today, broadband of this caliber is not available for residential users in Toronto, and commercial access is significantly less affordable in Toronto than in other leading world cities.
Dan Armstrong, founding partner, president and CEO of Beanfield Metroconnect, says, “The tremendous capacity of the network will ensure that everyone on the waterfront is equipped to both use and potentially create the Web-based technologies and applications of the future.” Beanfield Metroconnect is required to ensure that the network is on par with that of the seven top global intelligent communities for 10 years beyond when the last building is built.
The network is being built without taxpayer dollars. The private-sector development partners will provide the upfront capital, and Beanfield Metroconnect will also invest in building the network.
As part of their monthly condo fees, residents will pay $60 for unlimited 100 Mbps internet service, neighborhoodwide Wi-Fi and access to a community portal service that will be developed to reflect local needs and interests. Residents and businesses will be able to choose from a wide variety of content and service providers for Internet access, video services, telephone, security systems and more.
