Eastern Ontario Wardens' Caucus boosts economic development through new fibre broadband connections at business parks

HASTINGS COUNTY, ON, Jan. 10, 2014 /CNW/ - In a boost to the region's economic development, the Eastern Ontario Wardens' Caucus (EOWC) has awarded contracts to expand high-speed fibre internet connections at more than 50 business parks and clusters across rural Eastern Ontario.

Bell Aliant, Cogeco Cable Inc. and Utilities Kingston were awarded contracts to provide the new high-capacity, high-speed fibre internet connections. The project adds to the number of business parks and clusters that already have broadband service in the region.

The companies are building the new services off of their existing infrastructure, as well as off of the 5,500-kilometre fibre-optic backbone that was built through the Eastern Ontario Regional Network (EORN). A range of speeds and services will be available to serve the needs of business customers in these locations.

The business park project, valued at about $8.9 million, is the latest phase of the EORN project, a $170 million initiative to expand rural broadband throughout the region. Created by the Wardens' Caucus, the project is supported by federal, provincial, and municipal funding, and private sector investment.

"EORN is a key economic development tool for the region," said EOWC Chair Rick Philips. "Expanding high-capacity, high-speed internet fibre to these business parks will help our communities to attract and retain local businesses."

"Thanks to prudent financial management and project oversight, we are able to deliver this added value to business parks as part of the EORN initiative," said EORN Chair David Burton. "We expect to complete construction of the business parks by 2014."

EORN was established by the Wardens' Caucus to manage expansion of the rural broadband network in Eastern Ontario. It includes a 5,500-kilometre fibre optic backbone and more than a dozen local access networks that will increase internet speeds and services to 95 per cent of the households in the region by 2014.

Disponible en français.

SOURCE: Eastern Ontario Regional Network

Lisa Severson, Communications & Stakeholder Relations Officer, EORN, 613-213-8520, [email protected]