In leading the largest urban renewal project in North America, Waterfront Toronto understands that affordable, ultra-high-speed broadband communication is essential public infrastructure for 21st century communities. Toronto’s waterfront will boast intelligent communities that empower people to connect, communicate, innovate and live in new, exciting ways.

Affordable, open-access, ultra-high-speed broadband technology is capable of delivering speeds that are up to 1,000 times faster than today’s typical residential networks. With state-of-the-art infrastructure forming the backbone of our intelligent communities, this open-access, flexible, community-based network will enable businesses and residents to be innovative.

The new information, communications and technology infrastructure will attract the world’s leading organizations from the knowledge and creative industries to Toronto’s waterfront. Our model has already drawn cutting-edge organizations, including Corus Entertainment, one of Canada’s largest media companies, and George Brown College, which has selected the waterfront for its leading-edge Health Sciences Centre campus. The bold, new technology infrastructure connects people and will also revolutionize the applications that people use.

As well, knowledge workers in the creative, data and information-intensive industries – such as film and entertainment, software and application development, and industrial design – will have more than enough bandwidth to do at home what was once only possible at work, thus eliminating the need to commute to their offices – reducing gas consumption and emissions while delivering a flexible, lower-stress lifestyle.

We are creating a city of intelligent buildings along the waterfront that will enable the use of broadband networks to remotely control and manage lighting, heating and cooling systems, as well as operate public facilities. People will be empowered with real-time management of their personal carbon footprint. The overarching result will be dramatically lower energy consumption as well as greenhouse gas emissions and costs, and an ability to achieve environmental sustainability.

Just as our communities shape and transform how people reconnect with the waterfront, the infrastructure for residents, businesses and visitors will connect them with revolutionary applications and opportunities that we can only begin to imagine. On the waterfront and the world stage, our new blue edge will be recognized as an extraordinary home that fosters innovation and creativity – a true living laboratory.