P.E.I. government hopes micro towers will boost cell service across the Island
CBC
Spotty cell service has long been a problem in Prince Edward Island, and the province is hoping to improve coverage this year.
The provincial government has issued a request for proposals (RFP) looking for a contractor to install a network of micro cell towers. The province hopes they will help strengthen cell and data signals in up to 17 locations.
Bidders will be asked to propose where the towers should go. Potential locations include rural communities such as Elmsdale, Bridgetown and Roseneath, as well as urban ones like Charlottetown and Summerside.
Gilles Arsenault, P.E.I.’s minister of economic development, trade and artificial intelligence, said the additional towers could help ease pressure on the existing network.
“There’s a lot of congestion on the towers that are there now,” Arsenault said. “So when we put those [micro towers] out there, it will enhance coverage here in Prince Edward Island.”
The micro towers, which are typically just a few metres tall, would be placed on government-owned buildings like schools and other public facilities.
Arsenault said the province chose micro towers because they are less expensive and faster to install. Since the government already owns suitable sites, the process can move more quickly.
The RFP includes a requirement aimed at ensuring rural areas benefit from the project.
For every one urban tower proposed, bidders must include two rural locations. Submissions that don't meet that 2-to-1 ratio will not be accepted.
“I think that's a good ratio to be able to cover the distance throughout the province,” Arsenault said. “We're very happy with that decision, and we're going to be able to serve all Islanders, and not just people in urban areas.”
Arsenault expects telecommunications companies will submit bids. The province hopes the towers can be in place before the summer tourism season.
Jean-François Mezei, a Montreal-based IT consultant, said installing micro towers can help improve cellular coverage, but they won't fully solve P.E.I.'s problem.
Mezei acknowledged there are benefits to microcells: they are cheaper and faster to deploy, and they face fewer regulatory hurdles since they can be mounted on existing structures such as telephone poles and buildings. However, he said microcells work well in urban areas but are less effective in rural regions.
“It has a very limited coverage, measured normally in a few blocks in the city, or even less, depending on how the antennas are angled,” he said. “The microcell adds capacity and very focused coverage in one area, but doesn't solve the problem of rural coverage.”
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