OLDS — O-NET, the municipally-controlled high-speed internet, TV and phone services company, has expanded into its fifth community and should be expanding into some Saskatchewan First Nations by the end of the year.
Olds chief administrative officer Brent Williams made those announcements in an address to the Olds & District Chamber of Commerce during the chamber’s annual general meeting, held March 8 at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 105.
“We have expansion ongoing in Lethbridge right now. That would be I think our fifth or sixth community that O-NET is active in, in an industrial park that is currently under-served, so that’s seeing progress,” he said.
Williams said through other companies, by the end of the year, O-NET should be “active” in installing fibre to connect First Nations in Saskatchewan.
“That’s exciting revenue potential, but we haven’t seen much yet," he said.
Williams acknowledged that there have been “significant problems” with O-NET TV during the last eight months.
“We’re working through that,” he said.
Williams said O-NET has bought a new cloud-based platform that will allow consumers to have it on any device, from TV to phone or tablet.
He said the goal is to fix the TV issues by rolling out that service by June.
When the town initially acquired O-NET, town council served as its seven-member board of directors.
Since then, councillors have been transitioning off that board and new board members have come on.
Williams said there are currently five town councillors and two others on the board.
“By Halloween of this year, the process should be complete, where we have a public-at-large board who have some expertise in running a telecommunications company or in the overall governance of a private business, which is not really a politician’s forte. I think council recognizes that,” he said.
