Broadband Initiative Committee Interim Report

The Broadband Initiative Committee, formed at the fall 2021 AGM of the Six Mile Lake Cottagers Association, is pleased to report back to the members of the Six Mile Lake community. Since its formation, the committee has dedicated many volunteer hours to assess and encourage options for better Internet on Six Mile Lake.

The goal was to find a service that was

• Fast
• Reliable
• Reasonably priced
• High capacity (I.E. no bandwidth caps)
• Accessible to everyone
• Aesthetically and environmentally acceptable
• Available now or as soon as possible

Unfortunately, and perhaps not surprisingly, there is no solution that addresses all of these desires. However the committee has learned a lot during their many volunteer hours working on the project. They felt they could offer the best value to Six Milers by sharing the results of their research.

Process

The committee undertook a disciplined approach. They first distributed a survey which generated as astonishing 50% response rate. Residents at Six Mile care about Internet! The responses indicated that over 80% of respondents were dissatisfied with their Internet service and almost 90% would change suppliers for better internet service.

The committee prepared and distributed an RFI (Request for Information) to 13 companies to determine their intentions. Only three companies responded with the Roger’s response offering the best solution but only for mainland residents. Although they are prioritizing Six Mile Lake due to the committee’s efforts, their solution will not be available until the summer of 2023 at the earliest.

The committee also made a presentation to the Township of Georgian Bay Council emphasizing the need to expedite required approvals to improve Internet service, while ensuring solutions with minimal environmental impact.

Results

Available Now, listed in alphabetical order.

Bell is actively marketing a relatively new WHI (wireless home Internet) on the lake today. Customers can opt for 50 up10 down, or 25 up/10down. Existing customers have found the service to be fast and reliable (though they haven’t yet experienced service during peak summer weekends). Customers do not have to commit to a contractual period. Different customers have received different prices and introductory discounts but you can expect prices in the range of $59-99. Caveat:  not all cottages are in range of this fixed wireless solution and a Bell tech must come to your cottage to make a determination. Early indications are that most cottages will be able to access this service.

Cell phone hot spots from Bell, Roger’s and Telus are used by many with mixed levels of satisfaction.

Starlink has a small number of customers on the lake. Customers are universally happy with the service.  However Starlink has no current capacity to add customers, although they did verbally indicate on a phone call that they will open soon. Starlink requires an initial outlay for equipment of $749, plus a fee of $140 monthly. Starlink has just launched a new portable version called Starlink RV. It is available immediately, but carries a higher monthly cost of $170 per month, and has a few limitations vs regular Starlink.

Two types of Xplornet are available on the lake today, satellite and LTE, which is similar to Bell’s WHI. Survey results indicate a high level of dissatisfaction with the satellite service, which costs $110 per month. The LTE service costs $59 to $99 per month, but unlike Bell, requires an installation fee to be paid, and a contract.

In the future

Rogers has indicated that they are planning to offer fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) Internet in the Muskoka region, to be completed by 2025.

Because of the proactive efforts of your committee, Rogers has learned of the appetite of the Six Mile community and has told us they intend to prioritize Six Mile Lake to receive this service first! Rogers intends to serve all mainland residents with FTTH capable of delivering at least 1 GB of bandwidth. This is world-class service, equivalent to urban service in speed and price.

This is clearly a superior solution for most residents but there are two drawbacks

• It will not be available to island residents
• It will not be available before next summer.

SMLCA would like to express appreciation to the committee members, who represent a diversity of backgrounds, and had representatives from different geographical areas on the lake.

Thanks to:

Craig Cameron (Co-chair)

Gord Vandevalk (Co-chair)

Lib Gibson

Rick Jocsak

Erik Luksep

Bob McKeen

Doug Osborne