Cranbrook’s getting wired

The installation of a municipal fibre-optic broadband network funded jointly by the Provincial, Federal and Municipal government is well underway in downtown Cranbrook. This $2.25 million project is moving ahead with Prestige Telecom Inc. in association with Consulting Gateway Corp.

The fibre-optic network is being built entirely underground using directional drilling technology. Construction commenced the week of November 15 with a scheduled completion date of March 31, 2011.

The plan is to connect municipal buildings, the hospital and college to the network.

Unfortunately the project hit a bump on the weekend, or more accurately a gas pipe, and threw downtown Cranbrook and some 700 homes into the cold. Gas service was restored by Sunday morning.

Twenty-two Terasen Gas employees, including staff brought in from Trail and the Lower Mainland worked through the night Saturday to complete repairs. The damaged pipeline was restored around 2 a.m. Sunday and Terasen employees began visiting affected homes beginning 8 a.m. Sunday morning, relighting appliances, according to a report in The Townsman.