Roxanne DesRoches appointed as General Manager to lead the expansion of CochraneTel.

Cochrane, ON, CANADA (July 23, 2025) – Cochrane Telecom Services Inc. (CochraneTel) is pleased to announce the appointment of a new General Manager, effective immediately.

Roxanne DesRoches, who has worked with CochraneTel for over 25 years, will lead CochraneTel to ensure that expansion plans are implemented quickly and cost-effectively. Roxanne will oversee all operations, develop the go-forward strategy in conjunction with the CEO and board, and will be responsible for the overall growth of the company. She will report to CochraneTel and PomeGran Group CEO, Dr. Kalai S. Kalaichelvan.

“I’m very pleased that Roxanne will lead CochraneTel in this new phase of growth for the company, where she will oversee our new investment to expand CochraneTel’s footprint. Her new role as General Manager of CochraneTel will ensure that the community continues to be served well. I’m sure she will lead CochraneTel to even greater heights,” Kalai S. Kalaichelvan stated.

The CochraneTel network expansion will include an additional investment of up to $2.6M over the next two years to create a state-of-the-art Network Operations Centre, connect hundreds of additional subscribers to the fibre network, and ensure that citizens outside of the Town benefit from high-speed internet connectivity.

“Since working with the PomeGran team from 2021, I have been impressed with the depth and breadth of talent in the group. My 25 years at CochraneTel have been an incredible journey of growth and expansion. CochraneTel is an important part of the growth strategy for the PomeGran Group, and I look forward to continuing working with the CochraneTel team to accomplish our goals as rapidly as possible,” stated Roxanne DesRoches, General Manager of CochraneTel.

Roxanne has lived in Cochrane for over 30 years and is actively engaged in ensuring that the Town of Cochrane is a vibrant, dynamic municipality for generations to come. In addition to being Board Secretary for CochraneTel and Northern Ontario Wires, she is also Chair of the Cochrane Beautification Committee.

“I’m very happy that Roxanne is stepping into the role of General Manager for CochraneTel. Working with her, in my role as Chief Operating Officer for the company over the last three years, has been a very rewarding experience. I’m confident that she is the right choice to lead CochraneTel in the next phase of the company’s expansion. I look forward to supporting Roxanne and CochraneTel in any way possible, to ensure our collective success,” said Christine Marion, former Chief Operating Officer of CochraneTel and President of Digicom.

About Cochrane Telecom Services Inc.
CochraneTel was founded in 1921 under the Public Utilities Commission, to provide electricity, water and sewer and telephone services to the community of Cochrane. With the introduction of competition in the electricity market and the disbanding of Commissions across the province, Cochrane Telecom Services (CochraneTel) was formed in 2003, to continue providing telecommunications to the community. In 1994 internet was introduced to Cochrane, which has become one of our primary sources of revenue.

In 2015, CochraneTel pursued the implementation of Internet Protocol Television (IPTV), a television service offered through the same copper and fibre cables that transport all our services.

CochraneTel looks forward to delivering ever improving services to all the people of Cochrane, both in rural and urban communities, for another 100 years to come. To know more about CochraneTel, please visit www.cochranetel.ca.

About PomeGran Inc.
PomeGran Inc. is Canada’s fastest growing fibre-centric rural broadband provider. Dedicated to enhancing broadband services, PomeGran has emerged as a leader on a mission to empower underserved markets in Quebec and Ontario. PomeGran is investing in rural Quebec and Northern Ontario as part of their strategic plan. Boasting ownership of broadband networks, underground and aerial fibre assets, and fixed wireless access (FWA) assets, PomeGran is committed to bridging the digital divide that exists between urban, rural, and Indigenous communities. Founded on the fundamental principle of ensuring equitable access to high-speed Internet, PomeGran believes that everyone deserves the opportunity to participate in today’s digital-first economy. To know more about PomeGran, please visit www.pomegran.com.

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