A new city report received by the City of Hamilton Public Works Committee on Sept. 29 says that the Rural Broadband Expansion Plan is progressing, but there has been no formal development plan yet from Rogers.
The Rural Broadband Expansion Plan was initiated in 2021 by the Province of Ontario to “connect unserved and underserved homes and businesses” with internet.
In Hamilton, Rogers Communications has been contracted to deliver approximately 700 km of fibre to 6,070 rural properties; however, staff say that no formal deployment plan has been submitted yet despite “multiple meetings” with Rogers and Infrastructure Ontario.
Still, staff say that the meetings held to date have “served to provide an understanding of the broadband expansion concept and techniques.”
Part of the holdup appears to be surrounding the method for internet cable installation.
One method involves roadside ploughing, which is “a rapid method to install cable at the edge of existing asphalt roadways.”
The roadside ploughing method has been proposed by Rogers for the project, but city staff reviewed the concept and reportedly have concerns about financial impacts, liability for damage, operations interference, and relocation costs.
However, the city maintains that they have “no opposition” to the method as long as locations comply with city standards and non-standard locations receive special approval.
Although there are no current financial impacts on the city since a formal proposal has not been submitted, staff say that roadside ploughing would result in additional long-term costs for the city and liabilities for maintenance, operations, and potential relocations.
First, the city would face additional capital and maintenance costs in the future whenever the infrastructure is encountered on the shoulders of roads.
Staff expect annual maintenance costs to increase by at least 25 per cent wherever telecom infrastructure is encountered.
Additionally, any damage to the infrastructure during maintenance or any future work would be the city’s responsibility to repair, which also carries increased costs.
The presence of the infrastructure would also hinder maintenance activities and future projects such as road widenings, paved shoulders, and bike lanes or multi-use paths.
The city would also be responsible for any necessary relocation costs.
Nevertheless, the city says that reliable, high-speed internet is “essential for economic growth, educational opportunities, healthcare, and overall well-being of residents.”
They note that access remains a challenge in many parts of rural Hamilton, which is partly explained by the fact that installing cable-based fibre in lower-density rural areas carries a high cost.
Staff say that they await detailed plans from Rogers with specific roads identified before fully assessing their request.
Staff add that a submission would have to include “a map or list of proposed locations for cable installation, a plan identifying existing conditions (such as current utilities), a method for installation and mitigation measures for conflicts.”
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