TORONTO – The Eastern Ontario Regional Network (EORN), the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario and Rogers announced Wednesday that Rogers 5G mobile services are now available in 26 more rural communities.
By building 18 new sites and making upgrades to an additional seven existing sites, Rogers is now able to offer 5G mobile services for the first time to residents in parts of the following areas: Renfrew County, Northumberland County, Lennox and Addington County, Haliburton County, Frontenac County, Peterborough County, Hastings County, Lanark County, Leeds and Grenville United Counties, City of Quinte West, Alderville First Nation, Algonquins of Pikwakanagan, Curve Lake First Nation, Hiawatha First Nation, and Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte.
The announcement is part of the EORN Cell Gap Project, a $300-million public-private partnership to improve and expand cellular services across rural eastern Ontario. Roughly half of the project funding comes from the federal and provincial governments, as well as municipal members of the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus and most of the Eastern Ontario Mayors’ Caucus. Selected through a competitive bidding process, Rogers is providing the balance of the investment in the project.
Through this partnership, Rogers is building approximately 330 new telecom sites, consisting of both new sites and colocations, and upgrading 312 existing sites. To date, upgrades have been completed on 305 existing sites, as well as 58 new cell sites.
“Rogers, in conjunction with our community partners, is working to accelerate tower construction for 2024 with many new towers planned to come online throughout the year,” an EORN press release says.
“We are grateful for the support of our federal, provincial and municipal partners in helping us close the gap in mobile services,” Pierre Leroux, EORN’s chair, said in the release. “Rogers’ network expansion will give local residents access to better cell services that are essential for economic growth and improved quality of life.”
