Telus announced Tuesday several private investments totalling $21.1 million to deploy and update its networks in Quebec’s Lower St. Lawrence, Gaspé Peninsula and North Shore regions.
These investments are being paired with financial contributions of $17.55 million from the government of Quebec and $14.4 million from the CRTC’s Broadband Fund, which will allow for the addition of a total of 35 new 5G wireless sites across the three regions, according to Telus.
In the Lower St. Lawrence region, money from the Quebec government announced in April will enable 12 new sites to be built to increase the service level for cellular coverage in the municipalities of Saint-Zénon-du-Lac-Humqui, Saint-Léon-le-Grand, Saint-Cléophas, Saint-Charles-
As part of the CRTC Broadband Fund, the details of which were announced last year, a new wireless site will be activated in Saint-Vianney and two new sites in Saint-René-de-Matane by the end of the year, Telus says. Activation of additional sites in Saint-René-de-Matane and Routhierville will begin in 2025, it says.
In the Gaspé Peninsula region, the Quebec government’s investment will allow Telus to add five new 5G wireless sites to improve cellular coverage in the municipalities of Gaspé, Percé, Saint-Alphonse and Saint-Elzéar, the telecom says, with other sites being evaluated for the region. Planning and prep work will begin in 2024, and the first sites are expected to be operational in 2025, Telus says.
The CRTC Broadband Fund money being used in the Gaspé Peninsula region will enable two new sites to be activated in Mont-Albert over the next few years, one new cell site in Cascapédia–Saint-Jules by the end of the year, and two new 5G sites in Saint-André-de-Restigouche over the next few months, Telus says.
Finally, in the North Shore region, investments from the Quebec government will enable Telus to add a new 5G wireless site in Godbout, with planning and prep work beginning in 2024 and the tower expected to be operational in 2025, Telus says.
As part of the CRTC Broadband Fund, details of which were announced last year, Telus activated a first wireless site near Lac Daigle north of Sept-Îles. Telus says new wireless sites will be activated in Baie-Johan-Beetz, Sept-Îles and Aguanish by the end of the year. The activation of sites in Baie-Comeau, Rivière-au-Tonnerre, Longue-
“Generational investments in our world-class networks are crucial to keeping Quebecers connected to people, information, and essential resources, as well as benefiting from all the innovation and evolution of our portfolio of products and services supported by the power of these networks,” Nathalie Dionne, regional vice-president of marketing at Telus, said in a statement. “Connectivity supports the development of our regions, strengthens their appeal and accelerates their environmental transition. It also contributes to bridging the digital and socioeconomic gaps, offering every member of society the opportunity to reach their full potential. Although our private investments are crucial, we commend the commitments from the Government of Quebec and the CRTC to improve wireless coverage in our regions.”
