IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ramara Residents to Benefit from Enhanced Xplornet Internet Service

Ramara/October 16, 2020 – Today, at a groundbreaking event in Brechin, the Township of Ramara and Xplornet Communications Inc. officially started construction on a new wireless Internet tower to provide enhanced service to rural residents.

“This investment in high-speed internet will bring connectivity to all of Ramara,” said Mayor Basil Clarke. "This is vital for our future as enhanced internet services will make our Township a better place to live, work and do business."

As part of a project with Xplornet, Canada's leading rural-focused Internet service provider, the Township of Ramara is supporting the construction of three new wireless towers in Brechin, Mud Lake and Rathburn, along with upgrades to five existing wireless sites. When completed, these sites will provide service at up to 50 Megabits per second (Mbps) with unlimited data to 5,700 rural households, small businesses and First Nations communities.

“A reliable internet connection can be seen as a basic utility, one which drives development in rural economies and acts as an important attraction tool,” said John Pinsent, Chief Administration Officer for the Township of Ramara. “Prior to COVID-19, our priority to improve Broadband services in Ramara was to provide services to residents commensurate to other municipalities. Since COVID-19, our priority is to reduce the digital divide and provide our residents with a sense normalcy as they continue to work, learn and connect at home.”

Xplornet's new Brechin tower is scheduled to be completed by December 2020. Residents who would like to know more about service availability, packages and prices can call Xplornet at 1-866-790-5894 for more information. Residents who contact Xplornet can request a follow-up from the company once service is available in their area.

"We're excited to be working with the Township of Ramara to bring faster, better Internet to rural residents," said Cathy MacDonald, Chief Operating Officer of Xplornet. "Ramara is leading the way in showing how municipalities can support broadband providers in delivering the enhanced Internet services that rural residents are demanding."

In 2019, the Township of Ramara committed its one-time modernization transfer from the Province of Ontario to the improvement of broadband connectivity to residents. As a result, the Township of Ramara went out to industry through a Request for Expressions of Interest, and chose Xplornet as the successful candidate. In July 2020, the Township entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Xplornet to begin the construction process.

Headquartered in Woodstock, New Brunswick, Xplornet is Canada’s leading rural-focused broadband service provider. For over a decade, Xplornet has been providing innovative fixed and mobile broadband solutions to rural customers at work, home and play across Canada through its innovative hybrid fibre wireless and satellite network.

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New Tower locations

Media Contacts

Ashley Watson

Business and Communications Coordinator

Township of Ramara

705-484-5374 ext. 322

awatson@ramara.ca

Steve Van Groningen

Manager, Corporate Affairs

Xplornet Communications Inc.

media@corp.xplornet.com