Altona town council is considering the possibility of establishing a fibre optic network in the community to improve Internet service. Several municipalities and school divisions in Manitoba have embarked on that path because of the lack of service provided by the larger telcoms to rural communities.

Altona CAO Dan Gagne says it's very preliminary at this point, but administration has been doing some research into the subject.

"In doing that research we found out about some other communities that have done their own fibre networks and offer that as a municipal service. It piqued our interest enough to bring in a consultant who worked on those projects."

A fibre optic network would deliver high speed Internet service well above the 10 megabits per second currently available in town.

Communities like Winkler and Hamiota are examples of where municipalities are making direct investments to improve Internet infrastructure for their citizens.

The City of Winkler invested $500,000 in Valley Fibre which is installing fibre optic lines to every residence and business in the city.

Hamiota along with the municipalities of Yellowhead and Prairie View and the Park West School Division have formed a co-op with the sole purpose of providing faster Internet to, not only attract new business to the region, but to existing businesses and its resident population.

"The proposal before (Altona) council is a way to provide that service to the community. The complicated part is how to finance that project and the business case behind that entity. Those are the complicating factors that council asked us to do some research into and we'll hear more in March," said Gagne.

A consultant who has worked on these kinds of projects will address town council on the subject next month.