RCI.B Rogers Communications Inc

MAXVILLE, ON, Nov. 7, 2022 /CNW/ - The Eastern Ontario Regional Network (EORN) and Rogers Communications today joined Francis Drouin, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Member of Parliament for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell, and Nolan Quinn, Member of Provincial Parliament for Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry, on behalf of the Honourable Kinga Surma, Ontario's Minister of Infrastructure, to announce that Rogers' 5G mobile services are now available in areas surrounding Maxville, Greenfield, Glen Robertson and Wendover.

Today's 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. About half the project funding comes from the federal and provincial governments, as well as municipal members of the Eastern Ontario Wardens' Caucus (EOWC) and most of the Eastern Ontario Mayors' Caucus (EOMC). Rogers Communications, which was selected through a competitive bidding process, is providing the balance of the investment.

Through this partnership, Rogers will build more than 300 new telecommunications towers, a combination of new tower constructions and colocations, and will upgrade more than 300 existing sites by 2025. More than 260 sites have been upgraded so far. The expansion in North Glengarry and Alfred and Plantagenet includes four new cellular towers – just the start of more new builds underway to expand cellular service.

"Canadians increasingly depend on reliable, secure, and modern digital connection services. Through partnerships with the provinces, territories, regional and municipal organizations, and industry, the Government of Canada is making mobile connectivity technologies available to Canadians across the country," said Francis Drouin, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Member of Parliament for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities. "Residents in the communities included in today's update will now benefit from upgraded cellular services."

"Our government is building a stronger, more prosperous Ontario by working collaboratively with partners across the province to ensure families and businesses in eastern Ontario have access to reliable wireless services," said Nolan Quinn, Member of Provincial Parliament for Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry. "With the new cellular towers being built and upgraded, we are significantly improving cellular connectivity throughout eastern Ontario, and providing rural communities with increased opportunities to connect with loved ones, create jobs, participate in the agriculture sector and access the critical resources they need and deserve."

"Rogers' network expansion will give local residents access to better cell services that will help support economic growth and improve quality of life," said EORN Chair J. Murray Jones. "We appreciate the support of our federal, provincial and municipal partners in helping us close the gap in mobile services."

"We are proud to light up the first new wireless towers built in partnership with the Eastern Ontario Regional Network, which will provide more seamless wireless connectivity to residents and visitors to these local communities," said Ted Woodhead, President, Eastern Ontario, Rogers Communications. "This is a major milestone as we work to bring wireless service to 99% of the areas in the region where people spend their time living and working. Rogers is committed to investing in our networks and working with government partners to deliver world-class technology that drives innovation and prosperity across the region."

Eastern Ontario Regional Network (EORN) strives to fuel economic development and growth by working regionally to improve and leverage broadband access and cell connectivity. EORN is a non-profit organization created by the Eastern Ontario Wardens' Caucus (EOWC). Since 2010, it has helped bring hundreds of millions of dollars in federal, provincial and private sector investment to improve connectivity across the rural region.

Currently EORN is working on a $300 million project, funded by public and private sector partners, to improve and expand cellular services across eastern Ontario. As part of this project, EORN is working with Indigenous communities to ensure that new cell infrastructure is built with respect for Indigenous priorities, treaty rights and heritage. Based on input from several First Nations, EORN has committed to exceeding industry practice, and is conducting archaeological assessments on most new tower sites.

From 2010 to 2014, EORN helped to enhance broadband access for nearly 90 per cent of eastern Ontario through a $175 million public-private partnership. The network was funded by federal, provincial, and municipal governments and private sector service providers. By the end of the project, 423,000 homes and businesses were able to access services of up to 10 Mbps download. It also spurred an additional $100 million of private sector investment in the region beyond initial commitments.

Rogers is a leading Canadian technology and media company that provides communications services and entertainment to consumers and businesses. Rogers shares are publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RCI.A) and (TSX: RCI.B) and on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: RCI). For more information, please visit: www.rogers.com or http://investors.rogers.com.

SOURCE Eastern Ontario Regional Network