Improved High-Speed Internet Now Available in Northumberland County

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• published: 12 Apr 2013
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More than 20,000 residents and businesses across most of Northumberland County now have improved access to wireless high-speed Internet services. Today, Rick Norlock, Member of Parliament for Northumberland Quinte West, on behalf of the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs; and the Honourable Jeff Leal, Ontario Minister of Rural Affairs; joined Rick Phillips, Chair of the Eastern Ontario Wardens' Caucus (EOWC); David Burton, Chair of the Eastern Ontario Regional Network (EORN); and Northumberland County Warden Hector Macmillan, to celebrate this important milestone. The Northumberland zone is one of fifteen areas across Eastern Ontario to receive high-speed Internet access through the Eastern Ontario Regional Network—Ontario's largest rural broadband network project. "High-speed Internet access provides new opportunities for local businesses and residents," said MP Norlock. "This launch of service is a significant milestone to be celebrated throughout Northumberland County. Our government is proud to support this project that will spur innovation, encourage economic development and improve the quality of life in Eastern Ontario." "Through this investment in broadband service for Northumberland County and other projects like it, Ontario's new government is strengthening rural communities. Rural communities will now have a tool to be investment ready, to attract jobs and growth while enabling access to modern, high-speed internet services for everyday residents,"said Jeff Leal, Ontario Minister of Rural Affairs. "We are very pleased to have been a part of such an important broadband project for the residents and businesses of Northumberland County, and to have completed on time, and under budget," said Sue Good, Vice President of Dealer Sales, Xplornet Communications Inc. "Our mission is to make the transformational power of real, high-speed Internet available to every Canadian regardless of where they live. We are excited to have been part of achieving that goal in Northumberland." Xplornet Communications Inc. will provide wireless access at speeds of up to 10 Mbps from 17 towers located throughout the area, including eight which were newly built as part of this project. The wireless access points connect to EORN's 5,500-kilometre fibre-optic network, which was built by Bell Aliant and Bell. The coverage area spans over 1,300 square kilometres, encompassing communities such as Castleton, Cobourg, Colborne, Cold Springs, Garden Hill, Grafton, Roseneath and Welcome. "Improving broadband access is one of the keys to unlocking the enormous economic potential of our region," said EOWC Chair Rick Phillips. "Today's launch marks another milestone towards our goal of providing higher speeds and bandwidth to at least 95 per cent of homes in Eastern Ontario." "We are pleased to launch new wireless Internet services across Northumberland," said EORN Chair David Burton. "The project continues to expand broadband access, on schedule and on budget." The governments of Canada and Ontario have each committed up to one-third of total eligible costs of the Eastern Ontario Regional Network, to a maximum contribution of $55 million each. EOWC Inc. and private sector partners are providing the remaining funding, with EOWC Inc. contributing $10 million. Bell and Bell Aliant have contributed $23 million combined towards the fibre optic network backbone. Once completed, the network will provide high speed broadband service to residents and businesses across the 50,000 square kilometres that make up Eastern Ontario including the counties of Hastings, Peterborough, Renfrew, Northumberland, Haliburton, Frontenac, Lanark, Prince Edward, Lennox and Addington, the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, the United Counties of Prescott and Russell, the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, as well as the City of Kawartha Lakes. Funding from the Government of Canada is being provided through the Building Canada Fund -- Major Infrastructure Component, which targets larger, strategic projects of national or regional significance.