MANITOULIN—NetCentral has confirmed that cellular telephone and Long Term Evolution (LTE) broadband data services are now available to Bell Mobility customers in Providence Bay.

The Bell Evansville tower is expected to be in service within the next two weeks, a NetCentral release explains. The Rogers towers at Morrisville and Meldrum Bay are expected to be in service in mid to late September. Once operational, the four towers will service both Bell and Rogers customers.

“NetCentral is pleased that residents, businesses, students, tourists and visitors within Central and Western Manitoulin Island will have access to reliable, cellular telephone and high speed/large download capacity wireless broadband through this unique public and private initiative through the support of NOHFC (Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation), Fed Nor, Bell and Rogers,” said Morry Brown, general manager of NetCentral.

NetCentral, the not-for-profit community based network comprised of the mayors of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands, Greater Sudbury, Elliot Lake, Chapleau and Parry Sound, secured $1.49 million in funding from both the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) and FedNor, to bring advanced telecommunications services to residents of Central and Western Manitoulin Island. NOHFC and Fed Nor funding enabled Bell and Rogers to demonstrate the business case to proceed with the $4.46 million capital investment to construct four towers to serve the Providence Bay, Evansville, Morrisville and Meldrum Bay regions of Manitoulin Island.