Ontario Construction News staff writer
Brant County councillors have awarded a $166,542 contract to High Tech Communications of Aurora, to build a 150-foot communications tower at the new Scotland fire hall and a 100-foot communications tower at the Oakland office.
Structures will improve internet access in the immediate area.
The tower at the fire hall will provide radio and paging services for 911 fire services. Currently, the fire department’s equipment is on a third-party tower with battery backup and a single path for connectivity, councillors were told.
According to a staff report, the project includes high-speed wireless connectivity for nearby municipal buildings.
The project was initially estimated at $150,000. The lowest bid reflects the impact of delays from the construction of the Scotland Fire Hall. Due to the level of this project, filing a notice of project with the ministry is a requirement, which cannot be done until the current project of the Scotland Fire Hall build is completed. “We are told that this should be complete by December 1st. Due to the delays, Cold weather construction has added costs. Additional costs can also be attributed to the fact that labor productivity has decreased 18% to meet COVID-19 protocols, thus reflected in higher costs of materials and construction.”
The Communications Tower at the Scotland fire hall will provide radio and paging services for 911 fire services. Currently the fire department equipment is hosted on a third party tower with battery backup and a single path for connectivity. Moving to the new tower will save approximately $12,000 per year in rental fees and provide multiple paths of connectivity as well as a battery with generator backup power.
The project will also include high speed wireless connectivity to both Scotland Library and the Oakland Customer Service Office. Currently the Scotland Oakland areas are under serviced and with the completion of fiber to the Scotland community center, significant improvements can be made to benefit the community. Staff working at the Scotland Library and Oakland Customer Service Office often experience challenges due to a lack of bandwidth and are impeded in the day to day tasks that they are required to complete. Enhanced connectivity upwards of 100 times the current speeds will greatly improve the ability of staff to work more efficiently.
A date for the start of construction has yet to be announced.