With the reliability of an internet connection being as important as putting gas into gas into your car. The talks of internet becoming a utility are ramping up in Okotoks.

Town Councillor Tanya Thorn says the internet is an everyday need and not a want anymore.

Okotoks Town Councillor Tanya Thorn

"Access to internet is no longer a luxury, it's one of those must haves," she says. "I look at it just like water, sewer or a telephone line. You need to have access to the internet in this day and age, so having it in as an utility makes sense."

Ideas of the Town possibly purchasing fibre optic cable set up their own network like the Town of Olds with their O-Net connection has been discussed and Thorn says before anything can happen when it comes to the Town's own network there are several questions that need to be asked.

"Is it put in dark fibre so that it's there and anybody then come in and put up the electronics on it? Is it to do all the way to the electronics side of it and it would be open? Is it to have major players come and do something with them? Should we go on our own? So there's lots of things to look at."

Thorn isn't sure when a decision would be made on a possible broadband connection but says whatever the final call they have citizens best interests in mind.

"We want to make sure that our residents have choice. So if they really love SHAW and want to go with them they have that choice. If they want Telus they can go with that choice. If the Town or another service provider was going to be providing it they could go with that choice. To me it's really about giving the end user the ultimate choice."

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