The work and money Telus is now committing to Qualicum Beach is essential to the town's future, says the community's cultural consultant.
Telus said this week it is investing $6.5 million in Qualicum Beach this year to wire most homes in the community directly to fibre optic cables, which the company says will radically increase Internet speeds and give people access to their Internet-based Optik TV service for the first time.
Telus said the technology offers customers Internet speeds up to 50 megabits per second and will enable incredibly fast Internet speeds in the future. It also gives more Qualicum Beach resident's access to Optik TV, with new features like TV on Demand, Optik Smart Remote, Multi-View and the new TED Talks application.
Patricia Huntsman, the town's cultural development and communications consultant expressed excitement about the news.
"High-speed networking infrastructure is essential to the town's ability to attract creative workers, particularly those in the digital media industry," said Huntsman. "This technology is how mobile professionals get to work everyday."
The digital arts industry is an important audience for the town's families and mobile workforce attraction strategy, she said.