Port Hope, Ontario will be among the first urban communities to pilot the new small cell technology in an agreement with Bell and approved by the city council. These advancements will position Port Hope for 5G and advanced telecommunications in the years to come. Sean Galbraith of Bell Mobility presented during the committee meeting, outlining the capacity, efficiency, and range of these towers. He told Northumberland Today that Port Hope is a prime location for the pilot, since “In urban areas, this is the solution we are moving toward.”
Galbraith noted that the telecommunications service provided by the boxes will serve both Bell and Telus customers, due to their network-sharing agreement, and implemented free of charge during the testing phase. If other service providers are interested in capitalizing on the small cell technology, they will need to make their own arrangements to tap into the network.
This technology has been tested in other communities, notably Mississauga. “It’s pretty new technology, so we don’t have a lot of examples we can point to. We are looking to partner with municipalities for a pilot project — and we pay for it, by the way,” said Galbraith. This proposed deal offers Port Hope camouflaged sites and more modern technology.
During implementation, Bell will have to deal with a hilly topographic landscape, requiring boxes “in the low double-digits — 10, 12, 20ish,” noted Galbraith. According to Northumberland Today, Bell is offering three payment options for the pilot:
Paying for all equipment installation and maintenance, plus a one-time $500 payment for the review of installation plans.
Bell will be providing a $250 annual payment for electricity consumption for each installation. Re-negotiation will occur in the case of dramatic hydro-price fluctuation and Bell will be charged an additional annual fee of $250 per exterior installation and $550 per interior installation.
Regarding the placement of the small cell boxes, Northumberland Today reports that Port Hope’s Mayor Bob Sanderson stressed the importance of preserving the cultural heritage of the downtown. The municipality is recommending installation sites and the short list includes Jack Burger Sports Complex, the Town Park Recreation Centre and Agricultural Park area, the town hall and Memorial Park area, the Canton municipal office, and the Garden Hill fire station and Alex Carruthers Memorial Park area.
During the next Board meeting, scheduled for April 18, the bylaw will be brought back in front of the council.
April 10, 2017
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