High-Speed Fibre to the Home and FWA Brings New High-Performance Internet Access to Dawn-Euphemia Township

CENGN is pleased to announce the availability of new high-speed internet service offerings in Dawn-Euphemia Township.  These services were established through an innovative project that brings high-performance broadband access to homes in the Village of Florence, the Hamlet of Shetland, and across the entire township that had been previously severely underserved.

The project showcases a number of cost-effective approaches to reaching underserved residents including:

• the use of existing agri-business grain elevators instead of building new towers;
• multiple fixed wireless access (FWA) offerings including unlicensed 5GHz, licensed LTE and new unlicensed 60GHz radios;
• reduced fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) installation costs.

Rural communities across the province will be able to benefit from the low-cost service expansion blueprints utilized in this project. This project is part of CENGN’s Rural Ontario Residential Broadband program.

The CENGN-funded Dawn-Euphemia Township project saw internet service provider MPV Wifi build a new 200-foot tower, install a 4 km fibre ring in the Village of Florence, install a new 60GHz FWA network in the Hamlet of Shetland, and install both 5GHz and 3.65 GHz FWA services transmitting from a collection of agri-business grain elevators. As a result, MPV Wifi has built four new internet access networks that support a range of internet access service offerings up to 100 Mbps Down and 100 Mbps Up.

MPV Wifi is offering the following new services in Dawn-Euphemia Township as part of this project:

Village of Florence

A range of FTTH high-speed internet access services:

• 20 Mbps Down and 20 Mbps Up, for $75.00 per month, unlimited data
• 50 Mbps Down and 50 Mbps Up, for $100.00 per month, unlimited data
• 100 Mbps Down and 100 Mbps Up, for $150.00 per month, unlimited data

Hamlet of Shetland

A range of FWA high-speed internet access services:

• 20 Mbps Down and 20 Mbps Up, for $75.00 per month, unlimited data
• 50 Mbps Down and 50 Mbps Up, for $100.00 per month, unlimited data
• 100 Mbps Down and 100 Mbps Up, for $150.00 per month, unlimited data

Across Dawn-Euphemia Township

A range of 5 GHz FWA high-speed internet access services:

• 10 Mbps Down and 2 Mbps Up, for $50.00 per month, unlimited data
• 15 Mbps Down and 5 Mbps Up, for $90.00 per month, unlimited data
• 25 Mbps Down and 7 Mbps Up, for $100.00 per month, unlimited data
• 50 Mbps Down and 10 Mbps Up, for $150.00 per month, unlimited data

A range of 3.65 GHz LTE FWA high-speed internet access services:

• 10 Mbps Down and 1 Mbps Up, for $70.00 per month, unlimited data
• 15 Mbps Down and 2 Mbps Up, for $90.00 per month, unlimited data
• 25 Mbps Down and 2 Mbps Up, for $125.00 per month, unlimited data

Quotes

“CENGN is pleased to see the introduction of high speed, reliable and affordable internet access services to the communities of Dawn-Euphemia township,” said Jean-Charles Fahmy, President and CEO of CENGN. “This successful project will enable more opportunities for residents, a stronger local economy and new internet-based digital services in the region. This project also provides us with a blueprint solution to enable broadband access in other rural communities with the same challenges.”

“This is an exciting milestone, which will bring access to reliable, high-speed broadband internet to people in the Dawn-Euphemia Township community who didn’t have it previously,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation, and Trade. “That means more opportunities for local businesses to grow their digital services and strengthen the economy and better access to online learning resources for students. Our government is committed to making sure communities in southwestern Ontario and across the province have the broadband and cellular connectivity they need and deserve.”

“Now more than ever, we see the importance of broadband in underserved and unserved communities like Dawn-Euphemia Township,” said Laurie Scott, Minister of Infrastructure. “The digital divide is real and magnified during this COVID-19 global pandemic. I understand this full well coming from a rural community. This investment continues to build on Ontario’s commitment to connecting people reducing that digital divide.  We are moving as fast as we can to get people the services that they need.”

Newbury Station Access

“For too long connecting rural communities with high-speed internet hasn’t been treated as a priority,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training, and Skills Development, and MPP for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex. “This investment is now connecting people in Dawn-Euphemia to quick and reliable internet. The days of driving to the nearest Tim Hortons to get fast internet are over. In 2020, this is long overdue.”

“Council is very pleased to be part of this exciting initiative to partner with CENGN and local internet service provider MPV Wifi to bring a wide range of reliable, high-speed internet access options including fibre-to-the-home and fibre-like wireless access services to the communities of Florence and Shetland while providing a wide range of high-quality, creative, high-speed internet options for the rural areas. This advanced technology enables exciting changes and future opportunities that may not have been accessible to our residences and businesses in the past,” said Mayor Alan Broad.

“MPV Wifi has always been committed to delivering fast, affordable internet solutions in rural areas. This project will provide the fastest speeds in rural communities with no data caps for Dawn-Euphemia Township residents” said Matthew Vanheule, President of MPV Wifi.

“MPV Wifi is AWESOME!!!” said Joe Elliot a new MPV Wifi customer in Dawn-Euphemia Township. “I work at a home business that is internet-based and I’m so impressed by the speed and reliability of this service!  And the service is even unlimited at a reasonable cost. No more overage charges and slow down.  Even TV will never be the same with MPV’s speed for Netflix and other internet channels. I highly recommend MPV Wi-Fi to everyone!!!”

This project is part of the Next Generation Network Program (NGNP), an Ontario government program powered by CENGN in partnership with the Ontario Centres of Excellence, which helps Ontario companies develop and demonstrate new wired and wireless technology, products and services. Other projects in the program are focused on smart mining, smart agriculture and autonomous vehicles.

Quick Facts

• Ontario has committed $63.3 million over five years to the NGNP, which is being delivered through a partnership between CENGN, Canada’s Centre of Excellence in Next-Generation Networks, and the Ontario Centres of Excellence.
• This initiative aligns with Up To Speed: Ontario’s Broadband and Cellular Action Plan, delivered by the Ministry of Infrastructure.
• This project is part of the Rural Ontario Residential Broadband program, under the NGNP. CENGN is currently evaluating new project proposals and communities for upcoming rounds of the program.
• Broadband is a federally regulated sector and telecommunications companies provide the services.  Ontario is working with funding partners like the Federal government, municipalities and other investors to deliver broadband to our underserved and unserved communities.

Contact

Rick Penwarden
Marketing Manager
CENGN -Canada’s Centre of Excellence in Next Generation Networks
613-963-1200 ex:329
rick.penwarden@cengn.ca

Resources

CENGN Rural Ontario Residential Broadband Program
https://www.cengn.ca/rural-ontario-broadband-program/

MPV Wifi
https://www.mpvwifi.com

Dawn-Euphemia Township
http://www.dawneuphemia.ca

Next-Generation Network Program
https://www.cengn.ca/next-generation-network-program-en/

Ministry of Economic Development Job Creation and Trade
https://www.ontario.ca/page/ministry-economic-development-job-creation-trade

About the Author

• 

Rick is a proud member of the Canadian research and technology community, having an extensive background in tech commercialization and industry adoption of innovative technologies. Through his experience with start-up businesses and not-for-profit organizations, Rick is an outspoken advocate for the integration of technology to improve both industry outputs and society.

Over the past 5 years, Rick has managed the public relations and communications for CENGN, Canada’s Centre of Excellence in Next Generation Networks. At the centre of an organization that facilitates collaboration between tech businesses, industry leaders, academia and government, Rick champions the message that talent development and commercial growth in advanced networking technology is crucial to a thriving economy.

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