MONTREAL – The Société de Transport de Montréal (STM) and its partners — Telus, Bell, Rogers and Vidéotron — are proud to announce that the deployment of the 4G LTE mobile network is now complete in all 68 stations and 71 km of tunnels that make up Montréal’s metro system.
With the Jolicoeur, Monk and Angrignon stations connected today, this complex project, launched in 2013, has now been completed within its stated schedule, scope and budget, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic.
The project involved an investment of nearly $50 million—funded in equal parts by telecommunications providers Telus (which was the project integrator), Bell, Rogers, and Vidéotron—and it has provided the STM with Canada’s largest indoor digital network and the longest underground wireless network in the country, says the press release.
“This special collaboration among the country’s largest telecom companies has brought uninterrupted connectivity and stable, 100% LTE coverage throughout the STM stations and trains. STM passengers can now enjoy a download speed of up to 275 Mbps, which is comparable to what they might get at home,” reads the release.
The upgrades required the deployment of radiant cable and antennas in tunnels, the installation of technical cabinets in stations, and the addition of five utility rooms containing specialized equipment and located at key points in the network to ensure optimal coverage.
“With its unique funding model, the partnership between Bell, Rogers, Telus and Vidéotron is the envy of transit corporations around the world,” said Michel Lafrance, general manager of STM subsidiary Transgesco s.e.c.
“I’d like to salute the hard work and collaboration of our partners—Bell, Rogers, Telus and Vidéotron—who did a masterful job spearheading this project, together with the STM teams,” added STM board chairman Philippe Schnobb. “The deployment of the mobile network will greatly improve our customers’ commuting experience, and also enable us to communicate more effectively with them.”
Photo of work being done at night from STM by Julien Perron-Gagné.
