Rural Ontario Residential Broadband Program
Under the Next Generation Network Program (NGNP) CENGN enabled innovative projects across Rural Ontario that demonstrate technology solutions that offer flexible, lower cost, higher performance residential broadband access for Rural Ontario communities. These live technology projects were funded for 3-6 months, and designed to test new technologies and validate business case solutions to improve high-speed internet access to residences within Rural Ontario communities.
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- Dawn-Euphemia Township
- Rural Milton
- Alnwick/Haldimand Township
- Holland Marsh
- Township of Lake of Bays
- Lanark County
DAWN-EUPHEMIA TOWNSHIP – PROJECT COMPLETE
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CENGN has completed this Rural Project with Dawn-Euphemia Township as the community project partner, and MPV wifi as the tech project partner. Read below for more details:
PROJECT PROBLEM STATEMENT
The problem statement for this project was “a technology solution to provide a cost-effective, self-configuring, high-resilience, high performance solution extending internet access service distances of 10 – 15 km from the broadband POP in a host community. This high performance residential broadband solution will extend service across flat expanses of farmland with a limited number of trees.”
In this case, the technology solution included both licensed and unlicensed fixed wireless access solutions and fibre to the home solutions to address the problem statement for this community.
TECHNOLOGY SOLUTION
The technology solution involved the following key components:
- Building a new 4 km fibre ring to support the village of Florence, and fibre access to over 80 homes
- Fibre-to-the-home internet access for over 80 homes in the village of Florence
- Building an unlicensed 60GHz millimeter distribution fixed wireless network in the hamlet of Shetland
- Fibre-link 60GHz fixed wireless internet access to up to 16 homes in the hamlet of Shetland
- Building an unlicensed 5GHz WIFI fixed wireless network using 4 Agri-business grain elevators and one telecommunication tower across the Township of Dawn-Euphemia
- 5GHz LOS fixed wireless internet access to up to 100 homes across the Township of Dawn-Euphemia
- Building a 3.65GHz LTE fixed wireless network using 4 Agri-business grain elevators and one telecommunication tower across the Township of Dawn-Euphemia
- 3.65GHz fixed wireless internet access for up to 500 homes with non-LOS access to a tower across the Township of Dawn-Euphemia
- Building a new 250 foot telecommunications tower for higher capacity backhaul
- Higher backhaul capacity and higher resiliency for meshed distribution network
Business Case Innovation
- No new distribution tower builds required – saving over $600,000
- Using 4 existing grain elevators as towers
- Using existing municipal telecommunication tower
- Using unlicensed spectrum for backhaul and distribution
VALUE FOR COMMUNITY
Key value for the community of this implementation:
- New reliable 100/100, and 50/10 high-speed broadband internet services to underserved residents
- Wide range of customer service options to address differing capacity needs with no data caps
- Future-proof fibre access for residents of Florence
- Blueprint technology solution easily applicable other nearby townships
- New tower can be used to extend services to nearby communities
- LTE fixed wireless internet access service offers options to those with limited tree cover
RESOURCES
Project Partners
RURAL MILTON – PROJECT COMPLETE
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CENGN has completed this Rural Project with Rural Milton within Halton Region as the community project partner, and Mage Networks as the tech project partner. Read below for more details:
PROJECT PROBLEM STATEMENT
The problem statement for this project was “technology solution required to provide a cost-effective, self-configuring, high-resilience, high performance solution extending internet access service distances of 5 – 10 km from the broadband POP in a host community. This high performance residential broadband solution needs to work across rolling hills of farmland with moderate tree cover.”
TECHNOLOGY SOLUTION
The technology solution involved the following key components:
- Lightweight pole mounted fixed wireless radio equipment
- Building a meshed, load-sharing high capacity unlicensed fixed wireless network infrastructure
- 5km radius of rural Milton to be supported with up to 900 homes available for improved broadband services
- Network technology ideally suited to both dense foliage and rolling hills
- Ability to support guaranteed minimal levels of service
Key business case innovations:
- No new distribution telecommunications radio towers required (60% cost savings over fibre)
- Symmetrical high-speed data services with no data cap
- High-availability, rapid deployment service offering
- Year round installation possible
VALUE FOR COMMUNITY
Key value for the community of this implementation:
- New reliable 150/15, and wide range of high-speed broadband internet services to underserved residents
- Blueprint technology solution easily applicable to 6 other nearby communities
- Currently 3 other spinoff projects planned using same technology solution
- Multiple fixed wireless internet access options available depending on LOS or non-LOS
- Value-added VOIP-TV and VOIP-Phone services available
RESOURCES
Project Partners
ALNWICK/HALDIMAND TOWNSHIP – PROJECT COMPLETE
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CENGN has completed this Rural Project with Alnwick/Haldimand Township as the community project partner, and Algonquin Fiber as the tech project partner. Read below for more details:
PROJECT PROBLEM STATEMENT
Need for a cost-effective, high-resilience, broadband solution for a rural Ontario community that are located in a valley making access to residential broadband or high-speed internet access difficult. The host community will need to have access to a local broadband Point of Presence (POP) in a nearby community within 10 km of the valley.
TECHNOLOGY SOLUTION
Innovative approach to fiber installation and material cost reduction using a Micro-duct Distributed Split solution.
VALUE FOR COMMUNITY
Key value for the community of this implementation:
- Fiber To The Home internet access for up to 150 residents eliminates radio shadow issues in a deep narrow valley
- Future-proof high-capacity internet access services
- Symmetrical 50/50 and 100/100 Mbps services for residents
- Affordably priced high-performance broadband with no data cap
RESOURCES
Project Partners
HOLLAND MARSH – PROJECT COMPLETE
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CENGN has completed this Rural Project with the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury and King Township as the community project partner, and Rogers Communication as the tech project partner. Read below for more details:
PROJECT PROBLEM STATEMENT
Need for a cost-effective, high-resilience, broadband solution for a rural Ontario community that are located in a valley making access to residential broadband or high-speed internet access difficult. The host community will need to have access to a local broadband Point of Presence (POP) in a nearby community within 10 km of the valley.
TECHNOLOGY SOLUTION
The technology solution involved the following key components
- E-band microwave technology with expanded bandwidth capabilities
- 5G Fixed Wireless Access for last km distribution to rural residents
- Massive MIMO antennae enabling higher spectral efficiency and increased capacity
- Cellular services to address deficit in mobile coverage
VALUE FOR COMMUNITIES
Key value for the community of this implementation:
- Future-proof 5G Fixed Wireless Access for up to 480 valley residents
- Choice of new high performance 25/5 and 50/10 broadband internet access
- Significantly improved cellular services in the Holland Marsh region
- High speed internet connectivity for agri-businesses including farms and wineries in the Holland Marsh
RESOURCES
Project Partners
TOWNSHIP OF LAKE OF BAYS PROJECT COMPLETE
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CENGN has completed this Rural Project with the Township of Lake of Bays as the community project partner, and Lakeland Networks as the tech project partner. Read below for more details:
PROJECT PROBLEM STATEMENT
Problem statement: Utilizing one or more available access corridors, in whole or in part, to extend broadband access to underserved residences. Example of Access Corridors include, but not limited to abandoned rail beds, unused road allowances, recreation trails, municipal right of ways, municipal properties etc.
This project will utilize an unused road allowance to situate a tower. Lakeland Networks will make use of existing 1 Gig fibre backhaul to Bigwin island and a new microwave link from Bigwin island to Fox Point will be deployed. A tower will be built on the municipal road allowance at Fox Point and will be equipped with point to multipoint access points to serve residents in the waterfront communities of 10 Mile Bay and Emerald Bay.
TECHNOLOGY SOLUTION
The CENGN project will drive installation of a fixed-wireless radio link between Fox point and Bigwin Island. The installation at Fox point includes the installation of a new 100’ Super Titan tower of suitable strength to accommodate point-to-point and point-to-multipoint equipment for 50/10 services to the waterfront community and other potential future builds. The broadband deployment includes the following innovations:
- New 1.2 Gbps microwave backhaul from Bigwin Island to Fox Point to extend existing 1 Gig fibre backhaul from Bigwin Island
- New 3 GHz Cambium Medusa radio access points for distribution offering throughput of more than 800Mbps and incorporating recent developments in smart beamforming to reduce interference
- 8 X 8 multi-user MIMO providing high spectral efficiency and offers multiple streams to each user, while supporting higher numbers of homes per radio
VALUE FOR COMMUNITY
The following are the direct benefits to the 10 Mile Bay and Emerald Bay residents of Lake of Bays Township:
- Optimal location for service coverage: Structure relocated closer to the waterfront communities to better serve residents
- Choice of new high performance 25/5 Mbps and 50/10 Mbps broadband internet access with unlimited data
- Quick deployment leading to faster time to service
- Easy expansion for potential future builds
RESOURCES
Project Partners
LANARK COUNTY PROJECT CURRENTLY UNDERWAY
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CENGN has selected the Lanark County as the community project partners and Community Fibre Company, as the local ISP technology project partner for this Rural Ontario Residential Broadband Project.
Read below for more details:
PROJECT PROBLEM STATEMENT
Problem statement: Utilizing one or more available access corridors, in whole or in part, to extend broadband access to underserved residences. Example of Access Corridors include, but not limited to abandoned rail beds, unused road allowances, recreation trails, municipal right of ways, municipal properties etc.
This project will utilize the Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail (OVRT) as the Access Corridor. The OVRT will provide the primary links between two new POPs as well as the feeder fibres to multiple intersecting roads. Community Fibre Company will make use of lightweight fibre drop cables attached to existing poles for aerial fibre distribution.
TECHNOLOGY SOLUTION
The CENGN project will drive installation of an innovative rural optical distribution covering over 60 kilometers. The installation will utilize 19 km of abandoned rail line to connect multiple rural concession roads to extend optical internet access to over 450 underserved rural homes. The broadband deployment includes the following innovations:
- Extensive network coverage: 61km of aerial fibre installation + 19km of fibre along the Ottawa Valley Rail Trail
- Use of low-cost 24-count aerial fibre at a fraction of the cost of traditional approaches
- CWDM multiplexing at the POPs to provide a highly resilient distribution network
- Layer 2 and 3 ethernet switches to route traffic across the fibre mesh
- Innovative pole surveying technology to automatically generate pole engineering report
- Minimal permitting requirements since lightweight flat fibre drop cables used are considered insignificant alterations to existing poles
VALUE FOR COMMUNITY
The following are the direct benefits to the residents of Lanark County:
- Broadband extension to residents in a rugged rolling terrain with mixtures of farmland, trees, and rocks
- Resilient and high-performance broadband internet access using an innovative optical distribution approach
- Dramatically faster build times to get high speed internet out
- Model for low-cost expansion to surrounding communities
- Cost effective symmetrical service offerings: 50/50 Mbps and 150/150 Mbps
Project Partners
For inquiries related to the Rural Ontario Residential Broadband Program please contact:
Broadband@cengn.ca