Beaver Staff
Rogers Communications has been awarded a contract to improve the coverage and cell capacity of cell networks in Eastern Ontario.
Together, Canada, Ontario and municipal governments across Eastern Ontario are supporting the Eastern Ontario Regional Network’s Cell Gap Project that will improve both the reach and quality of cellular services throughout the region.
On Friday Maryam Monsef, Canada’s Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development and Laurie Scott, Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure, joined J. Murray Jones, chair of the Eastern Ontario Regional Network, Debbie Robinson, chair of the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus and Diane Therrien, chair of the Eastern Ontario Mayors’ Caucus to announce the contract.
Rogers Communications’ investment brings the total value of the public-private partnership to more than $300 million. This includes investments from the federal and provincial governments who each contributed $71 million and an additional $10 million from the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus and most municipalities within the Eastern Ontario Mayors’ Caucus.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) designated both mobile and fixed broadband as basic services for all Canadians. The project is designed to improve cell coverage across the area where people live, work and travel. It aims to provide 99 per cent of the area with voice calling services, at least 95 per cent of the area with standard-definition (SD) level services, such as video-app calls, basic app usage and streaming of SD video and at least 85 per cent of the area with service levels that can support streaming high-definition video and more data-intensive apps.
Additional investments will increase capacity of networks in high density, high usage areas.
To better serve rural Eastern Ontario, an area of some 50,000 square kilometres, the project will involve construction of more than 300 new telecommunication sites and will upgrade more than 300 existing sites over the next four to five years. Upgrades and construction will begin as early as this spring. New services will be activated as groups of towers are built or upgraded. The project is to be completed in 2025.
“I am excited by today’s announcement,” L&A County warden Ric Bresee said in a statement. “It shows why EORN’s approach is so successful. We are getting substantially more in private sector investment than anticipated. Our residents and businesses across Lennox and Addington County will soon be able to connect wherever they live, work or travel. This is a key building block for our future and is a major step forward for us all.”