Telus has applied to the government for the use of Crown land to put up two cell phone towers between Midway and Grand Forks.
The application is part of a Telus plan for cellular expansion through the province. Telus has entered into a partnership with the B.C. government to expand wireless services along 1,700 kilometres of underserviced highway corridors throughout the province under the Connecting British Columbia Agreement.
The two towers will help address coverage gaps in providing wireless data and voice communication services in the area.
“We recognize there is an increasing demand for cell coverage in Grand Forks, and Telus plans to invest at least $1 million over the next couple of years to enhance capacity in the area for our customers,” said Liz Sauve, Telus media relations. “We’re looking at providing service along the highway corridor—as much as we possibly can, taking into consideration the challenging terrain and location. We’re looking at a few possible sites, each representing an $800,000 to $1 million investment to provide more reliable service for residents and travelers in the area.”
Section A is located approximately 8 kilometres west of Midway, near Ingram Creek just off Highway 3. The applicant has applied to construct a powerline and communications site tower. The site is located on private land; the application is for the utility line only where it crosses Crown land, the Trans Canada Trail. The applicant is also applying to construct a road to the proposed communications site.
Section B is located between Grand Forks and Greenwood and regards an application to construct a powerline and communications tower in the vicinity of Wilgress Lake. There is also an application to construct a road to the communication site.