CBT commits to strengthening broadband in the Basin

Neil Muth, CBT president and CEO; Richard Wake, CBT chief technology officer; Mayor Lawrence Chernoff, CMON vice-chair; Duane Birnie, information systems co-ordinator, City of Trail, and Mayor Dieter Bogs, CMON chair, show a Fibre Optic Slice Closure (FOSC) which is used to interconnect and contain fibre optic strands that are fused together.

CBT announces the signing of an agreement with Columbia Mountain Open Network (CMON) to acquire CMON's broadband assets. The assets will be managed by the Columbia Basin Broadband Corporation (CBBC), a new wholly-owned subsidiary of CBT formed in an effort to expand broadband in the Basin.

"CBT saw the opportunity to continue the work of CMON in bringing broadband to the Basin," said Neil Muth, CBT president and CEO. "The organization has played an extremely valuable role in bringing broadband to parts of the Basin and further expansion of CMON's vision for the region requires additional resources that CBT is able to provide."

CMON and CBT have worked closely together in the past and the acquisition by CBT will ensure the existing assets are maintained by a local organization with the capacity to move forward with a regional broadband strategy. Following the acquisition by CBT, CMON will be winding down its operations.

"CMON is proud to have been able to achieve success in bringing broadband to areas of the Columbia Basin," said Dieter Bogs, CMON chair. "Our vision has been to provide residents and businesses with affordable and reliable fibre optic networks. We are pleased that CBT will continue with the vision of the CMON founders."

"As we all know, high-speed Internet, which is enabled by a robust broadband infrastructure, plays a significant role in our daily lives," said Muth. "For example, it connects our citizens, enables our businesses to remain competitive in a global economy, provides educational opportunities for youth and augments the delivery of health and government services to our communities."

CBT will make strategic investments in broadband infrastructure and work with partners to assist communities interested in providing broadband to their region.

CBT delivers economic, social and environmental benefits to the residents of the Columbia Basin. To learn more about CBT programs and initiatives, visit www.cbt.org or call 1-800-505-8998.