Ottawa – The CRTC is taking action to improve cellphone service along nearly one hundred kilometres of major roads in Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, and Ontario. Better coverage will help make it safer for Canadians to travel along these roads. In 2019, the CRTC launched the Broadband Fund to help connect rural, remote, and Indigenous communities across Canada. To date, the fund has improved high-speed Internet and cellphone service in over 250 communities, connecting essential institutions such as schools, and health care and community centres.
Through its Broadband Fund, the CRTC is committing over $17 million to Bell Canada, TBayTel, TELUS Communications Inc., and Sogetel Mobilité Inc. to build new cell towers and improve cellphone service along eight major roads. These projects received support from impacted communities and many organizations. Letters of support emphasized the positive impact the projects will have on daily life in these regions, including improving public safety. The CRTC is continuing to assess Broadband Fund applications and will make more funding announcements in the coming months.