It's going to cost Elliot Lake about $165,000 as its share of a $660,000 upgrade for the city-owned broadband system that serves waterfront properties in the community.
Elliot Lake City Council was told at its meeting Monday night that federal funding would provide more than half a million dollars for the upgrade.
It was one of the suggestions laid out by Elliot Lake Director of IT Robin Scott.
She said the wireless improvement would involve adding a few towers and some equipment upgrades.
"And our goal would be to offer 50-10 to the cottage lot area," she explained.
The funding is based on 75-cent federal dollars.
Scott said another more costly suggestion would involve spending some $2,621,00 to introduce hybrid fibre service for the same properties. The city's share of that would have been $665,000.
A third option would be to sit back and wait as the group now involved with Huron Shores awaits approval of a $150 million system based on installation of fibre optics from Nairn Centre to Echo Bay, with a spur line up the Highway 108 corridor to Elliot Lake.
It was pointed out that there is no guarantee Elliot Lake would benefit from that planned network or when it might be built.
In addition, any future network would be funded to provide internet service to under-served areas, whereas Elliot Lake is working to improve an existing system already in place.
Without telling Elliot Lake specifically not to apply for federal funds for the city upgrade, the proponents of the regional system have said they are concerned the federal government will not fund both systems.
The city is spending $28,900 on a study now underway of Elliot Lake's broadband needs by a Sudbury-based consulting group.
The vote to approve the broadband improvement was unanimous, with five councillors in favour.
Councillors Ed Pearce and Chris Patrie were absent from the meeting.