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Gold River Internet Connectivity

1. Why doesn’t all of Gold River have fibre high-speed internet yet?

The fibre network in Gold River has only been built to the most cost-effective portion of the community in order to serve as many homes as possible with the available funds. The Village, CityWest and the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) have connected about 356 homes and businesses, focusing first on areas where construction was most cost efficient. Completing the rest of the network requires Provincial funding.

2. Why hasn’t the Province funded the rest of the project?

The BC Ministry of Citizens’ Services currently considers Gold River to be a “served community” already receiving high speed internet based on the national benchmark of 50 Mbps download/10 Mbps upload. Because of this classification, the Province claims the community is ineligible to receive funding.

3. Why do local governments disagree with this decision?

Local governments and regional partners believe the classification does not reflect the actual speeds received throughout the community. Gold River still relies largely on older network infrastructure that cannot support the 50/10 standard.

4. What is the Connected Coast project?

Connected Coast is a backbone network delivered by CityWest and the Strathcona Regional District (SRD) that installed a subsea fibre optic cable network from Prince Rupert to Vancouver, extending around Vancouver Island. This network brings high-speed fibre to landing sites across Vancouver Island and the West Coast of BC, but the project was not funded to bring last mile to homes and businesses. Funding local fibre infrastructure—often called “last-mile”— for rural and remote communities is a mandate for both Federal and Provincial governments where the larger telecommunications operators had shown an unwillingness to invest.

5. Why is building fibre more expensive in Gold River?

Unlike many communities, Gold River does not have overhead utility poles. This means fibre cannot be installed on poles and must instead be built underground. Underground construction requires trenching, drilling, installing conduit, and restoration of roads, driveways, and landscaping. As a result, construction can cost three to four times more than in communities where fibre can be installed on the poles.

6. Why wasn’t the whole network built at once?

Large infrastructure projects like this are often built in phases. The first phase focused on areas where construction could be completed with available funding and where homes were located close together. Additional phases depend on funding from the Provincial and Federal governments.

7. Why did the SRD borrow money for this project?

After provincial funding requests were denied despite ongoing advocacy, the need for high-speed internet in Gold River remained critical. In response, the SRD partnered with CityWest and borrowed funds to bring high-speed internet to as much of the community as possible. The goal was to demonstrate leadership and create an opportunity for the Province to provide funding support to connect the rest of the community.

8. Will the rest of the community eventually be connected?

The Village of Gold River, SRD, and CityWest continue to lobby and advocate for funding that the Province has provided to dozens of communities and First Nations across BC. Future provincial or federal broadband programs may provide opportunities to expand the network further.

9. What can residents do to help?

Residents can help by sharing their experiences and explaining that they are not receiving reliable high-speed internet to their homes, and businesses and why it is so critical to support their, health, education and economic vibrancy. Sharing internet speed tests are also encouraged.

Email your concerns and internet speeds to:

Community feedback helps demonstrate the real connectivity needs in Gold River when governments review future funding decisions.

10. Where can I get more info?

If you have any further questions or would like more local information, please contact the Village of Gold River at | phone 250-283-2202

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