MARKHAM – Xplornet and the Canadian government announced Friday they are going to help connect over 80,000 rural homes and businesses in Eastern Ontario, thanks to a $16 million investment from the Connect to Innovate program.
The end result will wee Xplornet offer broadband with download speeds of up to 100 Megabits per second (Mbps) and unlimited data using the latest 5G-ready broadband technology supported by fibre infrastructure.
To deliver this service, Xplornet will deploy over 600 kilometres of new fibre optic cable, as well as hybrid fibre wireless broadband technology. The project's enhanced coverage and service will cover rural residents in the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry (around Cornwall), the United Counties of Prescott and Russell (east of Ottawa), Lanark County (west of Ottawa), Durham Region (east of Toronto) and Northumberland County (a little further east of Toronto)
The total cost of the project, which was not disclosed, includes a contribution of up to $16 million by the Canadian government’s Connect to Innovate program. The areas covered are adjacent to Xplornet's hybrid fibre wireless network upgrades already underway to connect 35,000 rural homes and business in the counties of Hastings and Lennox and Addington.
The project is expected to be completed in 2022.
