Building a Data Utility!

Similar to an Municipal Electric Utility (MEU), a Data Utility is an open and accessible infrastructure that can carry various type of data services. One of such services is Internet Services that can be offered to the population by various parties and in different ways while also providing access. The utility's role is also to link the municipal assets, community centres, schools and health services centres together without the need for seperate dedicated infrastructures. In other words would you want the County's traffic lights to be connected to the Internet or a seperate infrastructure?

The traditional telecom model is based on "owning" access to the customers, locking them into an limited set of options. This usually means that customers end up paying more for services. While the project works in partnership with various facility based providers it also enables a variety of non-facility based providers to have access to the population. This will open up the market to more options for the population and the utility will also be vary useful for emerging service providers who are offering internal services to the community while keeping the data and communications private from the Internet.

While there have been various controversial topics around 5G and the related higher frequency bands, the DOIT's services is leveraging a combination of lower-end frequency bands in TV channels that are no longer being used as well as WIFI coverage. Morover the smaller tower structures are there to provide limited coverage at lower power levels for the population density. As such, it is no more dangerous than the television signals that have been part of our lives over the past 50 years.

The LiveMap provides realtime information about when to expect services will be constantly changing. It took some time for the project to start however it will be doing steady progress in connecting households over the next two-years. If your home doesn't show any connectivity on the map do not despair as the team is at work to make sure everyone in the County will be served without too much overbuild with people that already have service, as the project continues the remaining households will be accelerated, we will soon add a way to influence us by clicking on the map and requesting we look at accelerating your area, as more neighbourhoods do this it helps us increase the priority of the build to reach your home or business. If you would like to have the service sooner than the date follow the same process and we will take it into consideration.

As an Open Access Utility Infrastructure a Marketplace application and various Point of Services will be launched in the community. This will allow the community to choose which packages from which service providers they will want to consume. Moreover, for the FirstHomes services you will be able to register for the service and installation through the FirstHomes website which will be launching in the middle of Q4 2021.

The DOIT is working hard to improve people's quality of life. We hope to encourage service providers to offer affordable packages to population that need limited access but have trouble affording it as it's not longer an amenity but is now a necessity. Moreover, we hope to ensure that aging population will have the capacities to stay in their homes longer through emerging technologies. Finally, through this program connected homes will appreciate in value making them a desirable assets and providing a attractive edge for youth, talent and businnesses within the community.