SUDBURY—The federal and provincial governments have announced funding of more than $97 million to connect more than 18,600 homes to ROCK Networks, a subsidiary of PomeGran Inc. The project will bring high speed internet access more than 60 communities along the north shore of Lake Huron between Sudbury, Huron Shores and Sault Ste. Marie and on Manitoulin Island. It will serve over 18,600 households, including over 2,500 Indigenous households.
PomeGran, which will own and operate the network, will have an end-to-end fibre network constructed and operated that will deliver speeds of up to 25 Gpbs. The network will provide connectivity to over a 50,000 square kilometre geography. The first network hookup will take place this fall on the North Shore, while hookup is slated to take place on Manitoulin Island in the summer of 2025.
“High-speed internet is no longer considered just a luxury,” said the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, minister of rural economic development and minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada opportunities agency at the announcement held at Dynamic Earth in Sudbury on June 24. “The federal funding committed today will bring reliable high-speed internet to more than 18,600 underserved homes in communities across Northern Ontario. Communities large and small need to have a reliable connection so they can grow their potential in this digital world.”
“Thanks to a combined investment of over $97 million from the governments of Canada and Ontario, residents of Huron Shores and Manitoulin Island will have the tools they need to succeed in today’s digital world,” said Amarjot Sandhu, parliamentary assistant to Ontario’s minister of infrastructure. “This investment brings us another step closer to fulfilling our government’s ambitious goal of delivering reliable high-speed internet access to every community across Ontario by the end of 2025.”
“This investment is a testament to our commitment to bridging the digital divide in rural and indigenous communities,” said Joe Hickey, president and founder of ROCK Networks and president of PomeGran. Through their engagement with the not-for-profit Huron Shores and Manitoulin Island Community Owned Fibre Infrastructure Corporation (H&M COFI) PomeGran has connected with various communities, ensuring their needs and voices were considered. The project aims to provide high-speed broadband internet to homes, businesses and institutions. Their vision is to enhance global access and influence in the region, with fibre-based technology, transforming the digital landscape of the area.
“PomeGran is excited to receive this investment, a testament to our shared commitment with the governments of Canada and Ontario to bring high-speed internet to rural and indigenous communities in Northern Ontario,” said Mr. Hickey. “This strategic investment signifies a crucial step towards achieving Canada’s nationwide connectivity targets, and with our commitment to an open access network, it will help foster competition in the market, making high-speed internet more affordable in the region.”
“I am ecstatic that after close to five years this announcement of funding has been announced,” stated Georges Bilodeau, chairperson of H&M COFI. “The government’s funding is a game-changer for connectivity in Huron Shores and Manitoulin Island. Beyond connecting households, it paves the way for educational opportunities, telemedicine advancements and thriving local businesses. It’s about building a strong, more connected community for generations to come.”
“We are enthusiastic about partnering on this high-speed internet project, which will significantly enhance connectivity and economic opportunities within our community,” said Wiikwemkoong Ogimaa Rachel Manitowabi. “Our collaboration on the network and construction efforts is a testament to our commitment to sustainable development. Reliable internet access will empower our community by providing better opportunities for education, healthcare and local businesses.”
Carol Hughes, MP for Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing, one of several MPs and MPPs in attendance at the announcement said in a release, “This is a massive project that will help bridge the digital divide for people across Northern Ontario. I had been a huge advocate for the ROCK Networks and (H&M COFI) project for years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when it was very clear that people in this region weren’t always equipped with the broadband services they needed to work or learn from home.”
“This project will create good-quality jobs and will be a huge benefit for families and businesses throughout Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing,” said MP Hughes. “It’s going to help bridge that digital divide that is frequently felt in our small towns and communities in the North. I want to thank Michael Groh and Joe Hickey from ROCK Networks who continued to push for this project, and Georges Bilodeau, the board chairperson for H&M COFI, whose diligence ensured this project took off.”
PomeGran has four construction companies that do the actual construction work on the systems and FirstTel and Acadia Communications are among other companies that will provide the enhanced broadband service with customers able to decide in an open process which server they purchase the services from. “We don’t set the rates, we sell them to (internet service providers) and they have fixed rates for this. Customers will be able to select the ISPs they want to purchase the service from.”
The open access framework will attempt to foster a competitive market, enabling numerous ISPs to offer diverse services to consumers at competitive prices, said Mr. Groh.
Mr. Groh explained that to future proof the network, PomeGran is deploying XGS-PON and 25G PON to provide multi-gigabit broadband to residences and businesses. In addition, PomeGran’s patent pending advanced fibre technology and outdoor passive fibre infrastructure will ensure lightning-fast connectivity and the ability to scale to speeds and reliability now and in the future not previously available to rural and indigenous communities.
“The nice thing is the system will be future proof, so when the government says the minimum speed is being increased, we have the capability to do this,” said Mr. Groh.
On July 29, 2021, the governments announced a Canada-Ontario broadband partnership to support large-scale, fibre-based projects that will provide high-speed internet access to nearly 280,000 households across the province. This historic agreement was made possible by a joint federal-provincial investment totaling more than $1.2 billion.
