History and Achievements
Founded in 2010, the Eastern Ontario Regional Network (EORN) is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting economic growth, improving rural connectivity, and enhancing quality of life. Since its inception, EORN has been striving to fuel economic development and growth by working regionally to improve and leverage broadband access and cell connectivity.
Short History of EORN Projects
EORN has a strong track record of delivering measurable economic, infrastructure, and community benefits across rural eastern Ontario.
Broadband Expansion
- Improved broadband access to approximately 90 per cent of eastern Ontario through its Phase 1 Broadband Project.
- More than 5,500 kilometres of fibre optic backbone network connecting communities across the region.
- Connected 63 business parks and economic clusters with fibre infrastructure to improve business attraction and retention.
- The original broadband network investment of $175 million generated infrastructure valued at more than $260 million through private-sector and in-kind contributions.
- Broadband subscriber numbers in the region exceeded 140,000 users by 2018.
- EORN’s Broadband Phase 1 Project helped connect four First Nations as part of its regional broadband expansion initiative.
Mobile and Public Safety Improvements
- The mobile broadband initiative represented a $300+ million public-private partnership, described as one of the largest wireless infrastructure partnerships in Canadian history.
- The mobile broadband initiative resulted in approximately 300 new cell towers as well as upgrades to 350 existing towers.
- Economic forecasts estimated the cellular project could generate 3,000+ full-time job equivalents and more than $420 million in private-sector business revenues over 10 years.
Proven Partnership Model
EORN has successfully coordinated funding and collaboration between the following:
- Municipal governments.
- Provincial and federal governments.
- Telecom providers.
- Private-sector investors.
The organization is widely recognized as a model for rural broadband collaboration and regional economic development in Canada.
EORN has already demonstrated that strategic rural connectivity investment drives economic growth, improves public safety, supports business development, and strengthens long-term regional competitiveness. Continued investment builds on a proven foundation with
measurable returns.
Impact of Improved Service
Paul Renaud in Lanark County wrote us about the significant improvement of cell service in a rural area on Highway 511 between Calabogie and Town of Perth in eastern Ontario. He wrote that prior to the EORN Cell Gap Project, the area of the Township of Lanark Highlands where he lives saw over 20 homes and local motorists without cell coverage or reliable emergency (E911) access. Residents relied on outdated landlines which often failed during storms and took days to repair, creating serious safety concerns.
With EORN's help, a new cell tower was installed with unanimous community support in a nearby community forest. Since the tower became operational, the area now has seamless 5G coverage.
Internet access was also poor in Lanark Highlands, relying on expensive, slow and unreliable geostationary satellite services. Common online tasks such as completing forms or using multi-factor authentication were often impossible due to slow responsiveness. Now residents use their cell phone data to complete some of these tasks.
The improved connectivity also enabled Paul's provably climate friendly maple syrup business (www.spiritintheforest.ca) to accept digital payments and expand operations by 15 per cent. The tower now serves as a reliable, Canadian-based internet alternative. Paul praised EORN’s efforts as a transformative investment in rural infrastructure, safety and economic growth, stating that public funds couldn’t be better spent and expressing hope that EORN’s work continues to be well-supported.
PS: days after Paul sent his letter, there was a car fire near the new cell tower and because of the access to E911, the fire department could be immediately summoned.
Impact on Highway 511
EORN spoke with Dan Leclerc, Operations Manager at Lafarge Canada Eastern Ontario Ready Mix. Here's what he said about improved cell coverage in eastern Ontario.
"Managing multiple plants across eastern Ontario means I’m constantly on the road, from Lindsay to Kingston, Cobourg to Sharbot Lake and everywhere in between. In the past, dropped calls and dead zones were a daily frustration, especially in rural areas such as Bobcaygeon or anywhere else north of Highway 401. But with recent upgrades to the cell phone network due to the EORN Cell Gap Project I find myself making safe handsfree calls on the road in all those areas that I used to expect my call to drop, and the coverage includes 5G+.
To communicate with my staff, we have replaced our old two-way radios with a hands-free, cloud-based system that’s both safer and more reliable. I can now stay in touch with our 40+ drivers without worrying about losing signal mid-call or mid-delivery. It’s a huge improvement, not just in communication, but in safety and efficiency across all our sites."
Impact of Improved Cell Coverage
Nadine Pickard and her partner operate Irwin’s Cabins, a camp where they rent cabins, RVs and cottages on Bobs Lake in the County of Frontenac. A cell tower that was erected as part of the EORN Cell Gap Project, has made a massive difference in their ability to take calls and therefore capture more customers. Prior to the tower, Nadine was relying on calls over wi-fi. Sometimes calls would drop if they were inside the office or another building, making connecting way more complicated than it needs to be.
“We couldn’t be happier to now have reliable service, and our guests feel the same way,” says Nadine. “It is a perk for guests to have good reception up here and even guests from the United States that are with certain companies get great reception, pinged off of the same tower. For the first time in decades for some, they can come up here and use their phones freely. This makes it easier for guests to call home, call each other, and to call local businesses as well about their hours of operation and to make reservations,” says Nadine.
And improved cell service isn’t only good for business. Living on a cottage road, it gives that sense of security knowing that calls will go through if there was ever a stressful situation, especially in the winter. Nadine, “We appreciate this service and the impact it is having on our daily lives.”
Impact on Irwin's Cabins
EORN specialises in delivering large-scale regional rural projects by fostering successful partnerships between municipal, provincial, federal governments and private sector partners. If you have an idea for a project that could benefit your municipality, a group of municipalities or your organization please reach out to us for a discussion.