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CityWest is looking at expanding program in Houston

CityWest has spent over $1 million
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CityWest is looking at having its expansion program in Houston completed by summer or early fall.

“So far we’ve been above ground, on poles, but in our last area it will be underground but as we all know, there’s a lot of snow on the ground now,” said CityWest’s Chris Armstrong of the planned expansion into the area commonly known as the Bench grouped around Pearson, Olsson, Nadina and Sullivan.

The installation of fibre optics connections brings with it much faster Internet connection speed, telephone and a wider availability of TV channels.

CityWest began its Houston project just over a year ago and by the time it’s finished, will have spent close to a $1 million, said Armstrong.

The Houston work continues an eastern expansion of the Prince Rupert-headquartered company in providing fibre optic service to parts of Terrace, rural Terrace, Smithers and surrounding areas and Telkwa.

“Not all of the areas, for instance, the more rural ones, have fibre to the home. But what we’ve done is build the backbone,” said Armstrong.

Last week, CityWest was part of a provincial and federal announcement to spend $38 million to expand the fibre optic backgone network to 33 northern communities.

The company will receive close to $6 million of that total for work east of Houston beginning with Perow and extending down Hwy. 16 to Topley Landing, Broman Lake, reaching south of Burns Lake to Tchesinkut Lake and east again to Endako.

Again, that might not mean fibre to individual homes because of the rural nature of the areas, but the potential is there for companies wishing to provide those connections, said Armstrong.