Telecom partnerships needed to bring better cell service to P.E.I., says innovation minister

A new report shows where the gaps are in cellphone coverage on Prince Edward Island, and what's needed to bridge them.

During Friday's question period in the P.E.I. Legislature, O'Leary-Inverness Liberal MLA Robert Henderson brought up the consultant's report while raising concerns about poor cell coverage he and his constituents have faced.

"With numerous dead spots and dropped calls, it can be frustrating," he said. "In the riding of O'Leary-Inverness, many areas have deplorable to poor service, and in fact there's some locations where SOS isn't even an option."

Henderson said a report commissioned by the province's Innovation Department found that 23 new cell towers would be needed in order to provide basic service to most of the Island.

"Where are your priority areas on P.E.I. that most require a tower? Because I'm getting tired of using the statue pose to take a call," Henderson asked Darlene Compton, the economic development, innovation and trade minister.

Farpoint, the consultant hired by the province to complete the report, said nearly 7,000 homes on the Island have no indoor cell reception from any provider. The report said about 2,200 homes, half of them in western P.E.I., can't even get cell coverage outside.

The study also noted there is no coverage on more than 2,200 km of Island roads, including more than 50 km of main roads.

The consultant recommended 23 new cell towers that would cost up to $1 million each, and also ranked where those towers should go based on the number of homes and roads that would be covered:

During question period, Compton said her department looking at whether standalone towers would have to be built, or if they should be placed on top of public buildings — or a mix of both.

Henderson replied that the provincial government, in its recent capital budget, allocated $2.5 million for the towers this fiscal year, and another $950,000 for next.

"During the capital budget debates, it was identified that one tower could cost us close to $1 million at the time it's installed and operational," he said.

"Knowing that you only actually have three... over the next two years that you're going to be able to install… where will your government be locating these three towers?"

Compton said her department is looking at putting towers on public or private buildings.

"We're going through the risk assessment of that. I told the department to speed it up; we need it right away," she said.