The provincial government will commit $71 million to improve broadband and cellphone coverage in Eastern Ontario, Infrastructure Minister Monte McNaughton announced Friday.

Amid applause from municipal politicians and counties staff, McNaughton said the money would go toward eliminating cellphone dead zones in the region and bringing Internet service up to the standards enjoyed in urban Ontario.

The money represents the province’s share of a $213-million public-private partnership championed by the Eastern Ontario Regional Network that has been seeking financial commitments from municipal governments, private Internet providers and the provincial and federal governments.

The remaining holdout is the federal government, which so far has not committed its $71-million share to the EORN project despite fierce lobbying efforts by Eastern Ontario politicians.

Michael Barrett, MP for Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, said that all Eastern Ontario MPs from both Conservative and Liberal parties have signed a letter urging the federal government to commit its share. He said he was hopeful that the government would see the light.

McNaughton, too, said he was optimistic that the feds would sign on to the project soon. He quoted his federal counterpart as saying that Ontario’s infrastructure priorities are also those of the federal government.

The EORN project has received pledges of money from the counties in Eastern Ontario and all of the separated municipalities, with the notable exception of Brockville, which has steadfastly refused to support the initiative.

Lisa Severson, who speaks for EORN, said the group has not given up on Brockville, and it intends to make another run at persuading the city now that a new council has been elected.

McNaughton said that along with the obvious economic development and lifestyle benefits of better Internet service, cellphone coverage is a matter of public safety.

About 10 per cent of rural Eastern Ontario is a cell “dead zone” with no service or repeated dropped calls, the minister said. In the case of car breakdowns or in times of emergencies, the lack of mobile phone service is a real safety issue, he said.

Local MPP Steve Clark also trumpeted the safety issue during Friday’s announcement in the counties council chambers.

“Our government is taking action to improve connectivity so that people feel confident and safe – at home and on the road,” said Clark, who is municipal affairs minister in the Ford government.

Local municipal officials stress that good Internet service is important in attracting business to rural Eastern Ontario.

Leeds and Grenville Warden Pat Sayeau said that questions about cell and Internet services are some of the first things asked by businesses interested in locating in the area.

Prescott Mayor Brett Todd, of the Eastern Ontario Mayors’ Caucus, also emphasized that the province’s investment is crucial to development in the area. He said the EORN project only would bring the region up to the standards enjoyed by residents in most other parts of Ontario, the rest of Canada and, indeed, the world.

McNaughton said the $71-million announcement fulfills Premier Doug Ford’s promise made during the often-cited “Renfrew handshake” during his leadership campaign. Ford met EORN officials during a stop in Renfrew and promised his government’s support, sealing the deal with handshakes.

“Premier Ford’s word is his bond,” McNaughton said.

The infrastructure minister’s announcement at the counties building was part of a whirlwind visit to Brockville in which he sprinkled good news in his wake.

Half an hour earlier, McNaughton stopped in a parking lot with a view of the William Street overpass to announce that the province had approved the overpass for funding under a federal infrastructure program.

The $1.57-million project was one of 49 that the Ontario government nominated under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, he said.

The program offers 40 per cent federal funding while the province would commit 33 per cent and the city would pay the other 27 per cent.

Coun. Mike Kalivas said the overpass project is shovel ready and the city is set to go once Ottawa gives the nod.

Earlier McNaughton was at Brockville General Hospital at a ceremony to mark the progress in BGH’s expansion project.

wlowrie@postmedia.com