CityWest set to expand again in the Northwest, with service extension planned for South Hazelton

CityWest is expanding its reach, with the communication company
set to wire up South Hazelton for service this summer

Prince Rupert based communication company CityWest is about to expand on its footprint for service in the Northwest, with the announcement today of a partnership with the Province of British Columbia to provide service to residents and business owners in South Hazelton.

The project which is estimated to cost over 800,000 dollars will see the 200 households and businesses gain access to high speed Internet, television and phone services.

CityWest and the Province will share in the cost of the work on a 50/50 split. Construction is planned for this summer with the first customers to be installed at the beginning of the fall.

Customers in the area looking for services should call CityWest at 1-800-442-8664 to be put on a waitlist.

CityWest is preparing to bring
High Speed Internet access
to South Hazelton this summer

Interim CityWest CEO Tina Lussier, notes how the company will be looking to bring its customer service and commitment to the Northwest to the residents of South Hazelton.

“We’ll be able to provide residents of South Hazelton with the same great experience we give to all our customers in all our communities. As a company that was built in the North, we’re proud to provide our newest communities with the fastest Internet speeds possible alongside great Optical TV and phone services.”

Bart Kuntz, the VP of Outside Plant Operations for CityWest observes that the company will be taking all the required COVID-19 precautions as the construction phase gets underway this summer.

“Our construction team will be practicing all the appropriate COVID-19 social distancing measures to ensure everyone stays safe. If COVID-19 provincial restrictions are still in place by the fall, CityWest will continue taking all the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of its employees and of its customers when services are being installed in the house."

More on the CityWest plans can be reviewed here.

The work with CityWest is the latest of shared initiatives that the BC Government has taken on as they look to improve on rural access to the Internet, as part of the Connecting British Columbia Project.

As part of today's announcement, it was noted that Northern Development Initiative Trust is facilitating the delivery of the connectivity program in the North.

For his part, NDIT CEO Joel McKay hailed the commitment of the province towards improved access in the region.

“Bringing reliable, high-speed internet to the people of South Hazelton is another win for rural and remote communities in British Columbia. This demonstrates the commitment by the Province to not only improve the quality of life for our residents, but to strengthen and diversify the economy,”

For more notes on CityWest operations across the Northwest see our archive page here.

Cross posted from the North Coast Review.