Lack of cell coverage a growing public safety issue in rural B.C.

Do you think you could withstand one workweek without cell service?

Didn't think so.

I have.

Welcome to northern B.C.

The lack of cell coverage north and west of Prince George is astonishing and has resulted in a plethora of lost business opportunities and new public safety issues in the wake of the Haida Gwaii earthquakes.

To put it in perspective, 80% of this province's exports are produced in B.C.'s rural areas.

Some $70 billion in major capital projects have been proposed in B.C. in the coming years – and yet the lack of cellphone coverage has made it impossible in many areas of northern B.C. for business leaders to stay connected with their clients.

The 700-kilometre stretch of highway between Prince George and Prince Rupert, where a number of pipeline projects are proposed, has spotty coverage at best between towns.

The same can be said for the 800-kilometre length of highway north to Fort Nelson from Prince George.

Cell coverage on Haida Gwaii? Don't bet on it unless you happen to be in Masset or the Village of Queen Charlotte.

The 1,300-kilometre ribbon of highway that reaches north from Terrace to Watson Lake then back down to Fort Nelson is virtually without service.

The lack of cell service is more than just an annoyance – it's a public safety issue.

In January, Stewart mayor Galina Durant wrote to the Ministry of Citizen Services, identifying the lack of cellphone service as a "critical safety issue."

"We have experienced two tsunami warnings and evacuation orders were issued … if power was cut off during these events, residents of Stewart would have been cut off from the outside world," Durant wrote in her letter.

Urs Thomas, a business owner and councillor in Port Clements on Haida Gwaii, echoed Durant's concerns.

"We have an earthquake and if the power is out, [and] we have quite a few power outages, if the regular phone breaks down you have nothing left," said Thomas.

The lack of coverage has affected tourism operators as well.

Thomas pointed out that visitors to the islands choose to overnight in "connected" communities instead of Port Clements or Tlell.

And even communities that now have cellphone service, such as Queen Charlotte City, still had to lobby hard to get it.

Queen Charlotte mayor Carol Kulesha at one point printed business cards with pictures of cellphones with "Xs" through them to raise awareness about the issue with as many government and telecom officials as possible.

It worked. The community was eventually connected.

Still, drive five minutes out of town and you're in the dark.

"That is a stretch of very curvy road, black ice in the winter and there have been accidents," said Kulesha. "There is no way for anyone to call for help."

So, what's the solution?

There's no simple answer.

In 2011, Vancouver-based telecom giant Telus Corp. (TSX:T) inked a 10-year $1 billion servicing contract with the provincial government.

The contract included a requirement to extend cell coverage along 1,700 kilometres of highways throughout B.C. and increase Internet bandwidth in rural and remote communities.

Telus spokesman Shawn Hall said the company has pledged some $350 million to see that it lives up to its end of the bargain.

But significant hurdles abound.

Telus has only committed to 1,700 kilometres across the entirety of B.C.; meaning northern B.C. connectivity issues are not necessarily at the top of the priority list.

On top of that, Hall pointed out the geography of the north makes it a difficult region to service, adding that a single cell tower provides only 10 to 25 kilometres of service on a highway and costs between $500,000 and $2 million to build.

That means servicing Highway 37 north of Kitwanga to communities such as Stewart, Dease Lake and others will take a long time and be very costly.

To its credit, Telus has already invested $2 million upgrading services on Haida Gwaii, according to Hall.

But now it's at an impasse.

Cell and broadband service to Haida Gwaii is provided via an over-water radio transmission system, which the company said is currently maxed out.

An underwater fibre optic cable would have to be laid across the Hecate Strait to provide further service to the islands, said Hall, which would cost between $7 million and $10 million.

"We're certainly willing to be a partner in that," said Hall, "but it's not something we can do on our own."

Telus' telecom competitors have criticized the 10-year agreement.

In a 2011 letter to the provincial government, Prince Rupert-based telecom CityWest argued the 10-year contract would result in a less competitive marketplace that would ultimately hurt rural telecommunications companies and their customers.

"By supporting rural providers who operate in underserved regions we ensure that more of the money is invested in the regions and goes to the rural residents it is intended to benefit," CityWest argued in its letter to the province, which was later released via Freedom of Information.

"The implication is that the government has had to dangle the metropolitan business as an incentive to force Telus to serve rural B.C.; that our dominant carrier needs to be dragged kicking and screaming into these rural markets."

Whitehorse-based Northwestel raised similar concerns in its 2011 letter to the province.

"The suggestion that Telus will provide new value through the award is not supported by the facts," the company wrote.

In response to the letters, the province pointed out that Telus would not provide all data service requirements now or in the future – leaving the door open for other telecoms to expand infrastructure throughout B.C.

"There's nothing preventing other companies from making these investments, they just choose not to," said Hall.

He added that Telus would continue to invest in the region, and is currently adding infrastructure at Kitwanga – a junction where Highway 16 and Highway 37 meet.

But communities without cell service remain concerned.

In a February letter to the province, Port Clements mayor Wally Cheer reminded the province of a stipulation in the contract: "Telus will work with the province to achieve the goal of connecting 100% of British Columbia's population in 10 years from the commencement of the term."

"Since rural highways are identified as priorities to be addressed over the next five years, and since we are two years into this agreement, does this mean that within the next three years Port Clements will have cellular connectivity?" Cheer asked in his letter. "We would [like] your comments on this issue."

As of press time, no definitive timelines have been provided. •