Rogers, feds announce eastern Ontario wireless expansion project

The Eastern Ontario Regional Network (EORN), the Province of Ontario, the federal government, and Rogers Communications Inc. Friday announced a $300 million project with the goal of connecting 99 per cent of homes, businesses and major roads in the eastern Ontario region with wireless service. Of the total funding for the project, Rogers has committed $150 million, with the provincial and federal government each committing $71 million, and the remaining $10 million from the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus and Eastern Ontario Mayors’ Caucus. EORN, which is spearheading the Cell Gap Project, made the virtual announcement on Friday along with Rogers and the various government agencies. “We understand that this is no longer a nice to have, it’s a need to have, frankly, it's a must have… and we're committed to doing our part to eradicate the rural divide in this province,” said president of Connected Home and Rogers for Business Dean Prevost. Prevost said Rogers will begin the rollout right away by upgrading approximately 300 existing towers to 5G capabilities. An additional 350 towers will be built to improve coverage across approximately 11,000 kilometres of roadway, set to be completed by 2025. He added that service improvements should be seen within the year. Rogers was selected through a competitive bidding process to identify a telecommunication partner. Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development Maryam Monsef noted that the announcement was taking place during the COVID-19 crisis, where virtual connectivity is more “vital” than ever. “It's a matter of health and safety, absolutely, but it's also a matter of productivity, Canada's competitiveness, and...we really believed that Canada's recovery begins in rural communities and it begins with rural broadband,” she said. Jones and Monsef added that EORN will continue with its consultations with Indigenous communities to ensure their cellular coverage needs are met, particularly along highways. “Those dead zones can be deadly when that cell service isn't available,” Monsef said. “We've heard from Indigenous communities that those cell gaps lead to too many highways of tears, making our daughters particularly vulnerable to tragedies.” Laurie Scott, Ontario's Minister of Infrastructure, added that the increased service will encourage more growth, particularly with residents who want to move to the area but choose not to because of the unreliable service. In May 2017, EORN asked government to contribute to the public-private partnership to address cellular coverage gaps in Eastern Ontario.

Rogers, feds announce eastern Ontario wireless expansion project

Brief | March 19, 2021

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Rogers, feds announce eastern Ontario wireless expansion project

Brief | March 19, 2021

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