Quebec wants to map cellular coverage

This is a first phase to improve the mobile coverage of the Quebec road network.

This map should identify areas not covered by cell phone towers.

The government wishes to improve the mobile coverage of the Quebec road network in order to respond to safety issues on Quebec roads and connectivity in the territory and to help put in place the prerequisites for hyperconnectivity.can we read in the Quebec budget 2022-2023.

The member for Orford and parliamentary assistant to the Premier of Quebec, high-speed Internet component, Gilles Bélanger, indicates that he wants to present this card soon. I would like the map done in the next few months to identify where coverage is not adequatehe said.

” Let’s assume that the map is produced in 2022, the production schedule, I would like to do it in two years. »

An envelope of $ 50 million is planned for the realization of this map as well as for the first roofing work, indicates the last budget of Quebec.

[Pour couvrir l’ensemble du réseau routier québécois] I would tell you it’s more in the hundreds of millions. I discussed with the federal government, because it is still under federal jurisdiction, to have their financial participation in the project. Then it looks very promisingsays Mr. Bélanger.

Once the service holes cell coverage will be identified, Mr. Bélanger explains that he wants to validate with the MRCRegional County Municipality and municipalities priority areas to cover.

We will still not be able to cover all of Quebec. You can’t have antennas everywhere. There is a question of social acceptability [et de] costs. But, a mobility solution with, in addition, a satellite solution in low orbit could have 100% coverage of the entire territory of Quebec.launches the deputy.

He adds that the deployment of cell phone towers must be the priority to provide this coverage, but that satellite technologies may be required in some rural areas.

If there are places where there is no coverage [cellulaire] because it is not a priority road or a main road, satellite coverage will be able to solve the mobility issuenotes Mr. Bélanger.

An essential tool for road safety?

Cellular coverage is almost non-existent in certain areas of Quebec, in particular at a few places on Route 138 on the North Shore.

In early May, a young adult found she had no cell phone service to call emergency services on Route 138 after an accident. Like many residents of the region, she denounced the lack of cellular network in Minganie.

Route 138 is a priority route. It must not have service holes. It takes a blanket. The person could have diedadmits the Parliamentary Assistant to the Prime Minister, who hopes the map will help governments identify rural mobile coverage needs.

Last February, the Quebec Federation of Municipalities (FQM) asked that the regions of the province be quickly served by quality cellular coverage.

There, we have the Internet, we have fiber, we are able to set up what is needed for the cell phonerecalls the president of the Quebec Federation of Municipalities, Jacques Demers.

” We expect the regions to have the right to these infrastructures, the same thing as in the major centres. »

Gilles Bélanger says he will work with the FQMQuebec Federation of Municipalities to develop this map indicating the locations of cellular services in Quebec.

According to the 2022-2023 provincial budget, the government’s long-term objective is set up mobile coverage on the entire road network of Quebec.