Menu
Stay updated about our ground-breaking initiative to offer high-speed internet services to every household and business in Brooks.
BrooksNET is an open-access fibre optic network that reaches every household and business in Brooks. The backbone network is owned by the City of Brooks and internet service providers use the network to provide services to customers. The network is capable of delivering up to 10 Gigabytes per second (Gbps) to every household and business in Brooks. With this project, the City of Brooks will become one of the first 10 Gbps rural communities in Canada, positioning it as an attractive location for knowledge-based industries and residents who value affordable high-speed connectivity along with a well-balanced life rooted in community.
According to Broadband Communities Magazine, a quarter to a half of the population decline in rural areas of the US is attributable to poor or no broadband access. Assuming similar results for Canada, having capable broadband services available to residents and businesses is not only critical to the growth, it becomes a matter of survival for rural communities.
Communities face the decision of who is going to develop the infrastructure and deliver the services. Many communities have left the task to private internet service providers but unfortunately for smaller or rural communities, these traditional incumbents primarily focus on the larger and more profitable urban centres.
The City of Brooks’ solution to the broadband and connectivity problem is to construct an open-access fibre optic network that is partially municipally owned. Many people have come to think of it in comparison to a more traditional municipal service – roadways. The City builds and owns the roads, and any transport or taxi company is permitted to drive on the road. Similarly, the City will own the backbone network and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) will be able to have access so they can provide competitive, very high-bitrate internet and possible telephone and television to residents.
A project such as this requires a group of partners with distinct experience in various areas. We are pleased to be working with these companies and would like to acknowledge their participation in this project.
