Emerson-Franklin is moving forward on a plan to improve Internet service in the municipality.

Council has given Winkler based Valley Fiber the green light to proceed on building an Ethernet network that will service its communities and rural ratepayers.

"We have voted to proceed and there will be more votes going forward on exactly how we do it, whether it's through borrowing the money or using other funds that we have, and we'll have to vote on the actual agreement itself," said Reeve David Carlson.

Over half a dozen communities in the Pembina Valley have signed on with Valley Fiber to build a fiber optic infrastructure design specific to their needs.

The company received $10.3 million in funding through the federal government's Connect To Innovate program last year, which is being used to provide rural communities with high-speed Internet service.

However, communities partnering with Valley Fiber have to make an investment in the service to make it happen for their ratepayers.

Carlson says the details on Emerson-Franklin's investment toward the project have to be finalized, but he expects it will likely be in the 300-thousand dollar range.