frequently asked questions

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We are building fibre backbone infrastructure so that high-speed Internet can be made available to all residents and businesses in every part between Nairn Centre and Garden River First Nation, including the City of Elliot Lake and St Joseph and Manitoulin Islands. Once the network is constructed and operating, consumers, home, and business owners will buy Internet services that suit their needs from various Internet Service Providers (ISPs). This open-access model allows for a large number of ISPs to offer various services to you, the customer. 

The Northern Ontario Gigabit Fibre project is the construction and operation of an end-to-end fibre network that will deliver speeds up to 25 Gbps to 18,663 underserved households, including 2,580 Indigenous households in the Huron Shore and Manitoulin Island region. This groundbreaking initiative will provide much-needed connectivity to areas along Hwy 17 from Lively to Garden River, including Elliot Lake, St. Joseph, and Manitoulin Island. The network will provide connectivity to residents over a 50,000 sq. km geography. 

PomeGran will own and operate the network. The open access framework will attempt to foster a competitive market, enabling numerous ISPs to offer diverse services to consumers, at competitive prices. To future-proof the network, the project will leverage Nokia’s 25G PON technology, the first deployment of its kind in a rural Canadian community. XGS-PON and 25G PON will be deployed to provide multi-gigabit broadband to residences, businesses, schools, and various facilities. In addition, PomeGran's advanced fibre technology and outdoor passive fibre infrastructure will ensure lightning-fast connectivity and the ability to scale to speeds and reliability not previously available to rural and Indigenous communities. 

The completed network will meet or exceed the CRTC guidelines of wired speeds: 50 Mbps down and 10 Mbps up (50/10). The network will deliver speeds up to 25 Gbps. 

The service will offer fibre-optic speeds, with plans available to suit different needs. Speeds will be symmetrical, meaning upload and download speeds will be equal, ensuring seamless remote work, gaming, and video streaming. 

25G PON stands for 25 Gigabit Passive Optical Network, a next-generation fibre-optic technology that promises unprecedented speed and performance. As a member of the GPON family, it represents a significant leap forward from previous iterations like the 2.5G GPON and 10G GPON.

Technically, 25G PON delivers a staggering 25 gigabits per second of bandwidth, allowing for incredibly high data transfer rates. This capacity, not only supports more users simultaneously, but also ensures that high-demand applications run smoothly, from ultra-high-definition video streaming to complex business operations.

By clicking on the "Sign Up" button on our Home Page, you can fill out the following form on our landing page:  Fill out the form to stay connected and receive service availability updates and more as we work to bring high-speed internet to your community! 

This form allows you to input your address and other contact information to be signed up onto a list to receive service availability updates. 

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that have signed onto the new network will determine the packages and monthly pricing and interact with customers. We expect costs will be comparable to rates in other rural areas of Ontario. 

That is dependent upon which providers choose to use our network and supply service. As the customer, we expect you to have many ISP choices, which allows you to select one that meets your budget and Internet requirements. Pricing will be competitive and in line with regional broadband rates. Specific monthly costs will be shared closer to service availability. There will be no hidden fees. Any installation or activation costs will be clearly communicated before sign-up. Customers will receive necessary equipment (such as a router or ONT) as part of their service package. Depending on the plan, equipment may be included, rented, or available for purchase. Details will be provided prior to installation. Flexible options will be available, and customers may choose contract or no-contract plans depending on their preference. If contracts are required for certain promotions or packages, terms will be transparent with no unexpected commitments. 

There will be opportunities on our network for cellular carriers to use our infrastructure. Like internet service providers, this will depend on the company providing the service .

Since we have started this project, we have heard from many people who want improved internet service. We believe more people will purchase homes and set up businesses in your beautiful and popular region if the best internet service is available. We are also confident that better Internet and cellular service will improve the regional economy in ways beyond the initial impact on homes and businesses.  

• Job creation: Directly supports local employment through network construction, maintenance, and customer service roles.
• Economic growth: Enables local businesses to expand, attract new investment, and support remote work opportunities.
• Community impact: Provides schools, healthcare centres, and small businesses with high-speed internet, improving access to essential services.
• Long-term sustainability: Future-proofs the region with reliable infrastructure, making rural communities more competitive and connected.

• FTTH (Fibre to the Home) network is being deployed in each community
• Ensures direct fibre connections for maximum reliability and performance
• Provides symmetrical upload and download speeds for better remote work, education, and business use 

• Premier Ford’s announcement focuses on satellite-based solutions (e.g., Starlink)
• Fibre remains the gold standard for higher speeds, lower latency, and long-term reliability
• Our fibre network supports sustainable community growth by ensuring stable, high-quality internet

As part of the construction phase of the network, we require Make Ready Submissions and Permit Approval from Hydro One to attach the fibre to their poles. This also applies to other Local Distribution Companies (LDCs) such as Algoma Power and Bell. Also, for Power Connectivity to our Optical Line Terminal Hubs (OLTs), we require submissions to the appropriate power authority to provide those connections.

For Municipalities, we require permits for land to locate the OLTs and any other permits required by the municipality. The MOI has partnered with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) to standardize this process to make the permit application process easier to administer. 

For First Nations communities, we require Band Council Resolutions (BCRs) prior to starting any construction work and we are actively working on those with 8 out of 13 communities received to date. It is important to note that without a BCR we cannot build on Indigenous lands and there would be no grant money provided by Ontario or the Federal Government for construction.

For Private Landowners, we will be asking for a Permit Approval (Landowner Agreement) to allow fibre to be deployed to their home. 

For Private Landowners, we will be asking for a Permit Approval (Landowner Agreement) to allow fibre to be deployed to their home. Without this, we cannot install fibre to their home. If there are areas on the map where the route passes through private land, then we would be seeking an easement for this activity.

During the Survey and Design Phase, we identified the soil conditions of the area. For areas where there is exposed bedrock or shallow rock cover, we would look to deploy aerial fibre. Underground is preferred if we can plow the fibre cable into the soil. Rock drilling is the highest cost route and would only be considered when other alternatives are exhausted.

During the winter season, this would be taken into account. However, we are now into spring and ramping the construction phase to take advantage of the weather. We are on track to complete construction in 2025. 

As part of the easement with the private landowner, ongoing access for maintenance will be included. For unassumed roads, the fibre routing would be optimized to minimize these areas.

25G PON will be available to both residential and commercial clients. Though, given the speed, it will likely be commercial clients such as St. Joseph’s General Hospital in Elliot Lake that would be target clients.

The Optical Line Terminal (OLT) Hub supporting Elliot Lake will have 25G capability and therefore any client within the range of the site would have access.