(File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Looking for a signal

Cell coverage needs improvement, says R.M. of Birch Hills Reeve

Sep 16, 2019 | 5:00 PM

Despite opposition from rate payers, SaskTel remains committed to putting up a cell tower in the Rural Municipality of Prince Albert and that could be welcome news as well for people who live in the nearby R.M. of Birch Hills.

Reeve Alan Evans was among those paying attention to how the R.M. of Prince Albert council dealt with a recent application from SaskTel. Among the concerns raised by rate payers was the proposed location which would have been surrounded by four properties.

“You’ve got to respect where SaskTel is planning on putting it and if there is a better spot, that should be looked at,” Evans said.

In a statement Friday, a spokesperson for SaskTel said the company would now be looking at an alternate location, although no timeline has been proposed at this stage. Evans said coverage issues are an issue in his R.M. as well, explaining he had coverage complaints from farmers on the eastern side of the R.M. towards the river, as well as south of Birch Hills. For farmers, having adequate cell coverage is almost a must this time of year, as a means to communicate with their families if they need help.

“Nowadays most people in rural Saskatchewan rely on their cellphones for communication, you know, during the busy harvest time,” he said.

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Evans said there has been no attempt by the R.M. at this stage to contact SaskTel.

Meanwhile SaskTel did announce plans Monday to improve its coverage in the Prince Albert, Nipawin and Canwood areas. In an effort to build on its LTE network, 15 new macro towers are going up in rural areas and provincial parks. Among the locations getting towers are Mont Nebo, Domremy, and Pontrilas in the R.M. of Nipawin.

“Our government has an ongoing commitment to ensuring the residents of this province have access to faster and more reliable LTE cellular service,” Minister Responsible for SaskTel Don Morgan said in a statement. “As a result of our government’s wireless Saskatchewan initiative, SaskTel has been able to add these 15 new macro towers and the previously announced 103 small cell sites to enhance coverage in rural communities that previously had little wireless coverage.”

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell