OTTAWA, July 4, 2019 /CNW/ - Canadians understand the importance of creating successful, sustainable communities and investing in ways to connect with each other in our increasingly digital world. Connectivity is key to supporting economic growth in rural communities and improving opportunities for all Canadian families.
Today, the Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Rural Economic Development announced joint funding for the Eastern Ontario Regional Network's (EORN) mobile broadband project.
Phase 1 of the project involves building 317 new telecommunications towers and an additional 32 local Internet access points to improve overall mobile coverage for residents of Eastern Ontario. Phase 2 will identify the capacity gaps that result from heavy user-traffic, upgrade equipment to reduce network overloads, and improve service quality in rural communities.
Once completed, the project will improve mobile coverage for over 1.1 million residents in 102 communities in Eastern Ontario. The new network will allow businesses to grow and reach new markets, with a potential to create more than 3,000 full time jobs over ten years. For residents and families, extended mobile coverage means better access to mobile applications on a smartphone or tablet. The improved connectivity will also make it easier for people in remote areas to call for help in emergency situations.
The Government of Canada will contribute up to $71 million to this project under the Rural and Northern Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Plan. The Government of Ontario will provide $71 million and the Eastern Ontario Wardens' Caucus will provide $10 million towards the project, with private partners providing the rest of the funding.
Quotes
"Broadband Internet and increased access to mobile services supports economic growth and is key for the long-term prosperity of rural Canadian communities. This project will allow Eastern Ontario rural municipalities to be better connected and ensure that residents have improved access to online services and tools whether at home or on the road."
The Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Rural Economic Development
"EORN is building on the investment we've already made in broadband infrastructure across the region to close the gap in mobile services and improve economic growth, quality of life and public safety. We welcome and appreciate the support of the federal government for this project. Combined with provincial and municipal funding, we can now proceed with the next steps to make improved connectivity a reality for our region."
J. Murray Jones, Chair, Eastern Ontario Regional Network
"The demand for mobile broadband is growing exponentially, but our region is deeply lacking the needed infrastructure to keep up. This project is our top priority because Eastern Ontario's economic future is at stake. We are so pleased that the federal government is joining with the province and municipal government to make this project a reality."
Andy Letham, Chair, Eastern Ontario Wardens' Caucus
Quick facts
- On June 27, 2019, the Government of Canada launched two new strategies: Canada's Connectivity Strategy, which commits to connect all Canadians to high-speed Internet, and Canada's first Rural Economic Development Strategy, which will spur economic growth and create good, middle class jobs for rural Canadians across the country.
- The Rural Economic Development Strategy leverages ongoing federal investments and provides a vision for the future, identifying practical steps to take in the short term, and serving as a foundation to guide further work.
- Central to Canada's Connectivity Strategy are historic new investments that are mobilizing up to $6 billion toward universal connectivity. They include a top-up to the Connect to Innovate Program, a new Universal Broadband Fund, and investments from the Canada Infrastructure Bank.
- The Connectivity Strategy charts a course on how to maximize these investments, how the Government of Canada is leveraging the range of tools at its disposal, and how it will be expanding on its collaboration with the private sector, provinces and territories, municipalities, and Indigenous communities.
- Through the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan, the Government of Canada is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada's rural and northern communities.
- $2 billion of this funding is supporting infrastructure projects that meet the unique needs of rural and northern communities like facilities to support food security, local access roads and enhanced broadband connectivity.
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Backgrounder
Eastern Ontario residents will benefit from improved cellular broadband and connectivity
The Eastern Ontario Regional Network' project aims to improve mobile coverage and increase the networks capacity to ensure rural communities in Eastern Ontario have access to better mobile network services.
The Government of Canada will contribute up to $71 million to this project under the Rural and Northern Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Plan. The Government of Ontario will provide $71 million and the Eastern Ontario Wardens' Caucus will provide $10 million towards the project, with private partners providing the rest of the funding.
The Eastern Ontario Regional Network project will benefit the following areas:
City of Kawartha Lakes
Frontenac County
- Township of Central Frontenac
- Township of Frontenac Islands
- Township of North Frontenac
- Township of South Frontenac
Haliburton County
- Township of Algonquin Highlands
- Municipality of Highlands East
- Municipality of Dysart
- Township of Minden Hills
Hastings County
- Town of Bancroft
- Township of Carlow/Mayo
- Municipality of Centre Hastings
- Town of Deseronto
- Township of Faraday
- Municipality of Hastings Highlands
- Township of Limerick
- Township of Madoc
- Municipality of Marmora and Lake
- Township of Stirling-Rawdon
- Township of Tudor and Cashel
- Municipality of Tweed
- Township of Tyendinaga
- Town of Wollaston
Lanark County
- Township of Beckwith
- Town of Carleton Place
- Township of Drummond-North Elmsley
- Township of Lanark Highlands
- Municipality of Mississippi Mills
- Township of Montague
- Town of Perth
- Tay Valley Township
Lennox and Addington County
- Township of Stone Mills
- Loyalist Township
- Township of Addington Highlands
- Town of Greater Napanee
Northumberland County
- Town of Alnwick/Halimand
- Municipality of Brighton
- Town of Cobourg
- Township of Cramahe
- Township of Hamilton
- Municipality of Port Hope
- Municipality Trent Hills
County of Peterborough
- Municipality of Trent Lakes
- Selwyn Township
- Township of Asphodel-Norwood
- Township of Cavan Monaghan
- Township of Douro-Dummer
- Township of Havelock-Belmont-Methuen
- Township of North Kawartha
- Township of Otonabee-South Monaghan
Prince Edward County
Renfrew County
- Town of Arnprior
- Town of Deep River
- Town Laurentian Hills
- Town of Petawawa
- Town of Renfrew
- Township of Adamston-Bromley
- Township of Bonnechere Valley
- Township of Brundnell, Lyndoch and Raglan
- Township Greater Madawaska
- Township of Head, Clara and Maria
- Township of Horton
- Township of Killole, Hagerty and Richards
- Township of Laurentian Valley
- Township of Madawaska Valley
- Township of McNabe-Braeside
- North Algoma, Wilberforce Township
- Township of White Water Region
United Counties of Leeds and Grenville
- Township of Athens
- Township of Augusta
- Township of Edwardsburgh-Cardinal
- Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley
- Township of Front of Yonge
- Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands
- Village of Merrickville-Wolford
- Municipality of North Grenville
- Township of Rideau Lakes
- Village of Westport
United Counties of Prescott-Russell
- Alfred-Plantagent
- Casselman
- Champlain
- Clarence-Rockland
- East Hawkesbury
- Hawkesbury
- The Nation
- Russell
United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry
- Township of North Dundas
- Municipality of South Dundas
- Township of North Stormont
- Township of South Stormont
- Township of North Glengarry
- Township of South Glengarry
Separated Municipalities
- City of Belleville
- City of Brockville
- City of Cornwall
- City of Pembroke
- City of Peterborough
- Town of Gananoque
- Town of Prescott
- Town of Smiths Falls
- Quinte West
Associated links
Investing in Canada Plan Project Map:
http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/map
Federal infrastructure investments in Ontario: https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/investments-2002-investissements/on-eng.html
Investing in Canada: Canada's Long-Term Infrastructure Plan:
http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/icp-publication-pic-eng.html
Rural Economic Development Strategy: https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/rural/strat-eng.html
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SOURCE Infrastructure Canada
Emilie Simard, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Rural Economic Development, 613-864-7690, [email protected]; Media Relations, Infrastructure Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected]
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