Members of Quinte West’s Corporate Finance Committee in June 2017.(Photo: John Spitters / Quintenews).
It’s hoped the City of Quinte West will move toward being a so called “smart city”.
The Corporate Finance Committee has recommended council approve a request for proposals from consultants to design an underground fibre network connecting all city facilities and assets for data collection and communication purposes.
Currently, Quinte West uses fixed wireless and third party carriers.
City staff say a fibre network would last for years and save an estimated $1.6 million in service charges and maintenance costs over 25 years.
The staff say much of the fibre could be installed when major street upgrades are underway, saving on installation costs.
The network would connect city buildings, boost applications such as security cameras, and allow free public WiFi in many areas.
It’s not known what the cost of setting up the fibre network would be at this point.
The committee recommended setting aside $25,000 to pay for a consultant.
Council has the final say on the matter.
