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PRESENTATION REGARDING THE SOUTH WEST INTEGRATED FIBRE TECHNOLOGY (SWIFT) PROJECT
Mr. Geoff Hogan, member of the South West Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) Advisory Committee and Director of Information Technology for the County of Grey provided a presentation concerning the SWIFT Project.
Mr. Hogan discussed slides concerning the following topics:
• The purpose of the Swift Project;
• The impact of a comprehensive, open access fibre network;
• The SWIFT Stakeholders;
• The composition of the SWIFT Board of Directors;
• The composition of the SWIFT Advisory Committee;
• The history associated with SWIFT;
• The context for the project;
• Photos illustrating the increased use of the internet between 2005 and 2013;
• How a regional digital infrastructure enables application’s economies and societies;
• A graph illustrating the cost per kilometre network compared to other infrastructure;
• Why fibre is best material for the network;
• The importance of open access;
• A graph illustrating fibre broadband penetration in Canada versus other countries;
• The limited customer choice options for internet services;
• The feasibility of the SWIFT network;
• The proposed phases of the Project;
• The potential benefits of the SWIFT Project;
• The SWIFT organizational and governance structure;
• Phase 1 features of the SWIFT Network Design;
• A diagram illustrating how SWIFT will result better internet access;
• The project capital costs and proposed funding sources; and
• How the SWIFT Project will provide opportunity for improved broadband access in Barrie.
In closing, Mr. Hogan provided a quote from the Prime Minister in India supporting optical fibre networks and he encouraged City Council to pressure the Federal government for a fibre/broadband strategy.
Members of Council asked several questions of City staff and the presenter and received responses.