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Editorial: Broadly speaking

Municipal and regional government officials have to be commended for taking the leap right now with broadband.

Broadband Internet is receiving broad appeal throughout the regional district.

The Regional District of Kootenay Boundary (RDKB) approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the Regional Broadband Committee (RBC) earlier this month.

With the City of Rossland already on the way to bringing the service into its downtown—and Grand Forks with a free Wi-Fi network set up for the downtown core—the region is becoming connected.

The RDKB is partnering with several other organizations including the Regional District of Central Kootenay, Regional District of East Kootenay, Ktunaxa Nation Council, Columbia Basin Trust and Columbia Power Corporation, in creating the Regional Broadband Committee to develop a regional broadband strategy.

And it’s about time. Broadband is necessary if all communities are going to stay viable over the next few years.

Although evidence is not irrefutable, indications are if the region is to stay competitive and its economy grow, broadband Internet is a key.

Municipal and regional government officials have to be commended for taking the leap right now to establishing the infrastructure—the fibre-optic network—to bring broadband to life.