The Eastern Ontario Regional Network (EORN) is seeking federal and provincial support to deliver ultra-fast, Gig internet to homes and businesses in the region through a CAD 1.6 billion (USD 1.2 billion) public-private partnership (PPP).

“Gig” refers to an internet speed of 1,000 Mbps or 1 Gbps (gigabit per second). It provides seamless, reliable connectivity needed for business, healthcare, education and other services.

EORN would seek to fund the project through a combination of funding from the federal and provincial governments, loans from the Canada Infrastructure Bank and the private sector.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) declared 50 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload internet speeds as a minimum basic service goal. Without additional public investment, it is unlikely that parts of eastern Ontario would reach these service levels before 2030. The average global broadband speed in 2020 is 92 Mbps and is projected to reach 110 Mbps by 2023, according to the Cisco Annual Internet Report.

Delivering Gig service generally involves a fibre optic or cable connection to the home or business. The EORN Gig Project leverages previous investments in infrastructure and services. This includes a fibre optic backbone and other infrastructure across the region built to handle the speed and capacity of the Gig project .

EORN, a non-profit created by the Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus (EOWC), works with governments and community organizations to improve and leverage broadband access to fuel economic development and growth.

The EORN Gig Project would serve a geographic area that includes 13 municipal members of EOWC, including:

• County of Frontenac
• County of Haliburton
• County of Hastings
• City of Kawartha Lakes (single tier)
• County of Lanark
• United Counties of Leeds and Grenville
• County of Lennox and Addington
• County of Northumberland
• County of Peterborough
• United Counties of Prescott and Russell
• County of Prince Edward (single tier)
• County of Renfrew
• United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry