The CRTC is committing more than $17 million through its Broadband Fund to Bell Canada, TBayTel, Telus Communications and Sogetel Mobilité to build new cell towers and improve mobile wireless service along eight major roads, the telecom regulator announced Wednesday.
The four telecommunications service providers submitted their funding applications in response to the CRTC’s third call for applications to the Broadband Fund.
Bell has been approved for up to $1.05 million in funding to build a cell tower to serve approximately 15 kilometres of Route 330 near the community of Gander Bay South in Newfoundland and Labrador.
TBayTel has been approved for up to $5.16 million in Broadband Fund money to upgrade five cell sites to serve approximately 39 kilometres of Highway 527 in northwestern Ontario.
Telus is to receive up to $7.48 million in funding to build cell towers to serve approximately 27 kilometres of highways in two administrative regions in Quebec, including along routes 232 and 234 in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region and along routes 204 and 277 in the Chaudière-Appalaches region.
Sogetel Mobilité has been approved for up to $3.6 million in funding to build cell towers to serve approximately 15 kilometres along routes 161 and 212 in southeastern Quebec.
After considering each of the telecoms’ funding applications in terms of the eligibility and assessment criteria applicable to mobile wireless projects serving major transportation roads, the CRTC found all of the proposed projects were “consistent with the universal service objective by providing mobile wireless service using the latest generally deployed mobile wireless technology (LTE)” and they “will have a significant positive impact on the area to be served and address public safety concerns by providing cellular coverage” along the roads served by each of the projects.
The CRTC expects construction of all of the projects to be completed within three years.
