Technology

High speed connectivity for Mackenzie

May 31, 2024 | 11:53 AM

MACKENZIE — Good news for residents of Mackenzie.

The District is partnering with IREN to bring high-speed fibre-optic connectivity to Mackenzie.

According to a news release, the District and IREN will share the $1.1 million funding requirement to bring high speed internet to the households in the townsite that were not eligible for federal government funding which will help reduce the cost to local taxpayers.

IREN acquired land from the District of Mackenzie in 2021 to develop next-generation data centers, helping the local economy to capitalize on emerging technology-driven growth opportunities and assist with economic diversification from the traditional forestry industry following recent mill closures.

“We are delighted at IREN’s partnership to help fund this project which addresses the long-standing issue of inadequate internet provision to the town and is aligned to the Province’s goal of providing all B.C. communities with access to high-speed internet,” says Mackenzie Mayor Joan Atkinson.

“We are proud to continue supporting the District of Mackenzie. This enhances connectivity for Mackenzie residents, and also provides dual redundancy for our next-generation data centers as we look to further grow our AI Cloud Services business,” added David Shaw, Chief Operating Officer for IREN.