Bell Canada, which touts itself as the country’s largest communications company, is committed to deploying high-speed internet access to everyone in Québec by September 2022. On Thursday, Bell announced “it is fully prepared to respond quickly to service providers seeking access to poles and other communications support structures” to make its pledge a reality.
In a release, Bell outlined its commitment to working closely with partners like Hydro-Québec and suppliers, including engineering firms specializing in aerial structures. The company has already made strides in accelerating the issuance of permits and speeding up several vital projects’ deployment.
“Bell has put everything in place to enable internet service providers to connect as many Quebecers as possible to high-speed internet as quickly as possible,” said Karine Moses, Bell’s Vice Chair, Québec. “This is a huge project for Québec, and Bell is ready to make a very significant contribution to its success.”
Bell’s promise extends to underserved or unserved populations in Québec. Over the past year, it has deployed an action plan to simplify access to support infrastructure for telecommunications providers, particularly those receiving government subsidies. The plan includes:
- Co-creation of a coordination table* with partners and the Ministry of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade to deliver faster access to poles and uphold safety compliance. (*may require translation from French)
- New measures to simplify common engineering standards and streamline the process for requests.
- Changes to the permit evaluation process allowing licensees to carry out structural surveys and work once engineers confirm safety standards.
- Creation of a Center of Excellence to share best practices with service providers, improve communications through a dedicated resource person assigned to projects, and provide a toll-free 1-800 line for assistance.
According to Robert Desmarais, General Manager of the Brome-Missisquoi Regional County Municipality and Local Development Centre, the increased collaboration by Bell and others “allowed for major progress over the last few months.” He added that the results of efforts would allow the “Brome-Missisquoi rural territory to be one of the first to be fully covered with fiber optics in Québec within a year.”
Reader Interactions