denman island update, november 10, 2023

November 10, 23

4 pm PST Teams Meeting

CITY WEST UPDATE 

Attendees: 

City West: Stephan, Colin Bell, Wes Eisses, Scott Simpson

Hornby Denman Internet Committee: John Grayson, John Wigle, Peter Spurr, Karen Ross

General: 

Denman is expected to officially “light up” next week, on November 14th.

There has been an offer for 2 months of free service. The service is directly from the Vancouver Internet Exchange, via the subsea cable. Exciting times for rural and remote communities on the coast of B.C. (https://connectedcoast.ca/)

DENMAN DISCUSSION:

o Denman beta test group, glowing reports. FB POSTS.

o Denman will “light up” on November 14th. On Nov. 10th that is 111 homes, but homes are being added everyday as the home “drops” are done.

o The network will continue to be built and homes added. “Light up as we go.”

o The blockage on “Graffitti Hill” should be done within 6 weeks. They have had to go aerial for that section (and there may be more sections where a civil build is impractical). The deal with Hydro is just finalized. The “make ready” includes replacing 3 poles. Normal time for this to happen is 6 weeks. After that is done, the fibre goes up in a day, the box in a week. So anticipate affected areas (e.g. East Road) service will be “lit” by the end of the year.

o Scott Simpson Marketing for C.W. has prepared this list of FAQ., for their clients:

Denman Island FAQs in November:

Q: I’m part of the beta testing group, but my services don’t appear to be available. 

A: We have begun configuring routers in preparation of our November 14th beta testing group. Please check that your router is plugged in and receiving power. If your router hasn’t come online, we recommend power-cycling your equipment. Unplug your router, waiting 30 seconds, and plug it back in. 

Q: Why aren’t my services ready on November 14th? 

A: CityWest selected a group of customers with pre-existing wiring and equipment to be part of our beta testing group. Construction teams are still actively building on Denman Island and preparing more homes and businesses for services in the future. CityWest can check your a

Address and see if it can be added to the test group in the future. 

Q: Why are you testing services? 

A: The Denman Island and Connected Coast networks are both newly built. Although they are built to the highest standards with fibre-optic technology, we want to ensure that we monitor our test group to make sure that everyone is getting the best experience possible with their services before we expand to the rest of the community. 

Q: How long will the beta testing period last? 

A: The beta testing period will take several months to complete. The exact length of time will depend on several testing factors from CityWest’s inside and outside technical teams. We plan to expand the group of test customers during this timeframe. 

Q: I want to be part of the beta test, how do I sign up? 

A: You must be registered for CityWest services to be eligible for beta testing. The CityWest team can verify if your address can be serviced during the test period. If so, we will schedule an installation for you soon. To sign up for services, visit www.citywest.ca/sign-up or call CityWest at 1-800-442-8664.

Q: I can’t get connected today, but I still want to get CityWest services when they’re available. What do I do? 

A: Eligible addresses on Denman Island can sign up today and take advantage of any promotion offerings that are available. Once services are ready at your property, our team will contact you to schedule an installation appointment. To sign up for services, visit www.citywest.ca/sign-up If your address is not available for sale yet, please fill out the contact form on www.citywest.ca/dropping-in and let us know in the comments section.

Q: My address isn’t available on CityWest’s online ordering system, how do I make sure I get connected?

A: Crews are still constructing our network on Denman Island and not all homes are ready for pre-sale yet. If your address is not ready to sign up, go to www.citywest.ca/dropping-in and fill out the online form. You can also call us at 1-800-442-8664 and let our customer service team know you would like to be waitlisted until your property is available for sale.

Quick Links

· To register for services visit www.citywest.ca/sign-up

· If your address is not ready for pre-sale, but you want to be contacted when its available, visit www.citywest.ca/dropping-in

(note: this is important, basically it will place you on the waiting list and be identified as a home owner to be contacted)