Better cellular coverage in the regions, in particular the North Shore, has been demanded in Quebec by the Quebec Federation of Municipalities (FQM), which is asking for financial assistance from the MRCs of the province to map cellular coverage on their territory.
The organization approached the Minister of Finance to move the file forward and proposed to create a joint program between Quebec and Ottawa to rapidly deploy advanced cellular technology.
This poor cellular coverage would hamper the growth and economic development of the regions, according to the FQM.
“We have investment projects in Ragueneau and Baie-Trinité with interested promoters and it is part of their concern to get in touch with our employees who will be traveling on Route 138,” said the prefect of the MRC Manicouagan. , Marcel Furlong.
Breaking down or having an accident in an area where the cellular signal is not accessible puts the life of the population at stake, according to the organization.
The emergency services are also equipped with satellite communication systems to circumvent the problem.
“Someone who is unwell on board a vehicle, he must be able to make an emergency call and very quickly,” said the prefect of the Haute-Côte-Nord, Micheline Anctil.
“The minutes are counted. We must not wait for someone else to go get help, ”she said.
Reference-www.journaldemontreal.com