High-speed Internet sought

Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star Published: December 30, 2010 6:00 PM

End of Internet in Cherryville or Rural Lumby ?

Demands are growing for high-speed Internet to be expanded into Cherryville and rural Lumby.  North Okanagan Regional District officials will meet with Telus in mid-January to discuss possible options for providing the service to the communities.  “It’s a real issue out here,” said Eugene Foisy, Cherryville director.  “Everything in society is going in that direction. Twenty-five per cent of our businesses are home-based and they are dealing with government frequently and a lot of their issues have to be dealt with online.” (more)

Similar problems exist for businesses in the rural Lumby electoral area. “There’s a real demand for businesses to be competitive but the lack of high-speed Internet impacts that,” said rural Lumby director Rick Fairbairn.  Besides businesses, the lack of high-speed Internet is making it difficult for some residents to access online courses or pursue information they may require. “If we had it, people could stay at home instead of driving into Lumby or Vernon to use the Internet,” said Fairbairn.