By Chad Ingram

Published May 4 2017

The North Frontenac Telephone Company which is bringing high-speed Internet to downtown Haliburton via fibre-optic cable plans to construct a fibre-optic network in the village of Minden as well.

Grant Roughley VP of NFTC made a delegation to Minden Hills councillors during their April 27 meeting.
“We’re actually currently deploying our equipment in Dysart” Roughley said as the Haliburton Village network is about to go live. “We’ve shifted our design team’s focus to Minden.”
From the township the company is seeking a municipal access agreement that will allow to it conduct work along municipal right-of-ways as well as a land lease agreement for the housing of a central office.

As Roughley explained this central office would essentially amount to a 10-by-20-foot building to house switching and routing gear.
In Haliburton Village the company’s office is located behind the Dysart et al township office.
“This brings more connectivity to more people at a higher standard” said Reeve Brent Devolin. “I’m certainly supportive.”

Roughley was scheduled to meet with township staff for further discussions and a subsequent report will come back to council.

Editor’s note: North Frontenac Telephone Company is 50 per cent owned by London Publishing Corporation. London Publishing Corporation shares the same ownership as White Pine Media which in turn owns the Minden Times and Haliburton Echo.