Eastern Ontario's 5G Leap: Inside the $300M Plan to End the Digital Divide

UNITED COUNTIES OF STORMONT, DUNDAS AND GLENGARRY, ON – May 06, 2026 – A major milestone has been reached in the ambitious effort to wire one of Ontario's most expansive rural regions. The Eastern Ontario Regional Network (EORN) and Rogers Communications have announced that 40 new cellular towers have gone live since late last year, bringing powerful 5G mobile service to 14 more communities, including several First Nations.

This latest activation is a significant step forward for the EORN Cell Gap Project, a massive $300-million public-private partnership designed to eliminate mobile service dead zones and bring modern connectivity to residents, businesses, and first responders. With the project now in its final stages and on track for completion by August 2026, the promise of reliable, high-speed mobile service is becoming a reality for hundreds of thousands of people across a vast geographic area.

New or improved Rogers 5G services are now available in parts of the City of Kawartha Lakes, the counties of Renfrew, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington, Hastings, Haliburton, Lanark, Northumberland, and Peterborough, as well as the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville and Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry. Critically, the expansion also includes dedicated service for the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation, Curve Lake First Nation, and Hiawatha First Nation.

A $300 Million Blueprint for Connectivity

The EORN Cell Gap Project stands as a modern blueprint for collaborative infrastructure development. The $300-million price tag is shared between the public and private sectors. Approximately $152 million in funding comes from government partners, including $71 million each from the federal and provincial governments, and a crucial $10 million from the municipal members of the Eastern Ontario Wardens' Caucus (EOWC) and the Eastern Ontario Mayors' Caucus (EOMC).

Rogers Communications, which was selected through a competitive bidding process, is investing the remaining sum, approximately $148 million, to build out the network. The scope of the undertaking is immense: construct around 346 entirely new cell sites and perform comprehensive 5G upgrades on 311 existing towers. With today's announcement, 274 of the new towers are now operational, and all 311 upgrades are complete.

"I am pleased to see that 5G services are being made available to more rural communities," said the Honourable Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure. "Bringing more high-speed, reliable cell service to communities across Eastern Ontario will help to ensure our rural and remote communities are not left behind in the modern global economy."

This sentiment was echoed by provincial officials. "These new towers are going to make a real difference in the lives of families, workers, and businesses in Eastern Ontario," said Sam Oosterhoff, Associate Minister of Energy-Intensive Industries. "Our investment in this project is expanding reliable cell service in rural, remote and First Nation communities, which we know will help ensure secure access to essential services and support long-term economic growth across Ontario."

Bridging the Divide for Residents and Businesses

For those living and working in Eastern Ontario, the project's impact extends far beyond faster download speeds. It represents a fundamental upgrade to quality of life, public safety, and economic opportunity. Upon completion, the project aims to provide 99% coverage for voice calls and 95% coverage for standard-definition data services—enough for web browsing and email—across the region.

More importantly, it targets 85% coverage for high-definition service, which is essential for modern applications like video conferencing, remote learning, and telehealth appointments. This enhanced capacity is a game-changer for public safety, allowing for better navigation on remote roads and enabling first responders to communicate reliably in emergencies.

"Since November 2025, we've made significant progress with the completion of 40 new tower builds that are already improving service for communities across Eastern Ontario," said Jennifer Murphy, Chair of EORN. "We are continuing to close long-standing connectivity gaps and deliver the reliable cellular wireless service that residents, businesses, and first responders depend on every day."

Local businesses, once hampered by connectivity issues, can now better engage in the digital economy. The stable, high-speed network facilitates everything from online sales platforms to cloud-based inventory management, leveling the playing field with their urban counterparts.

Reshaping the Telecom Landscape

While the project delivers a clear first-mover advantage to Rogers in the region, its structure includes a key provision aimed at fostering long-term market competition. All 346 new towers built as part of the project are mandated to be "open access." This means other telecommunications providers can lease space on the towers to install their own equipment and offer services, avoiding the prohibitive cost of building duplicate infrastructure.

This policy is designed to encourage competitors to expand their own networks into these newly viable rural markets. While the decision to co-locate rests with each individual carrier based on their business strategy, the physical barrier to entry has been significantly lowered. This forward-thinking approach acknowledges the collaborative nature of modern networks; Rogers itself is leasing space on 75 towers from other carriers as part of this project.

"With 40 more sites in-service, we are proud to continue to expand cellular coverage to more residents, businesses, and First Nations across Eastern Ontario," said Mark Kennedy, Chief Technology Officer at Rogers. "Working with EORN and our government partners, we remain focused on closing connectivity gaps and delivering reliable coverage for Eastern Ontario communities."

EORN will maintain oversight of the infrastructure until 2030, ensuring that the service levels agreed upon in the contract are met for years to come.

A Foundation of Respect: Engaging Indigenous Communities

A cornerstone of the EORN Cell Gap Project has been its deep and respectful engagement with Indigenous communities. Recognizing its duty to consult, EORN has worked with 18 Indigenous communities and organizations throughout the planning and construction process.

Based on direct input from several First Nations, the non-profit committed to exceeding standard industry practice by conducting comprehensive archaeological assessments on most of the new tower sites. This commitment is not merely procedural; these assessments have been conducted on 178 new tower locations to date. The process can be painstaking, with one site requiring 13 months of consultation and assessment before construction could begin, demonstrating a genuine effort to protect and respect Indigenous treaty rights and heritage.

The result is not only a network built with respect for the land but one that directly serves Indigenous communities. The inclusion of Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation, Curve Lake First Nation, and Hiawatha First Nation in the latest service expansion marks a tangible outcome of this collaborative approach, bringing essential connectivity to communities that have long been underserved.