The Quebec, Canada, government is building more than 100 new cell towers in an effort to eliminate so-called “cellular deserts,” representing an investment of $170 million, according to the Quebec Farmers’ Advocate. The first tranche to be built includes 79 cell towers by next spring. In 2022, maps were created that showed anywhere from 400 to 700 antennas would be needed to eliminate the province’s dead zones.
In 2022, a near-fatal car accident caught the headlines because it happened in an area without cell coverage. Understanding that highway segments are still in need of coverage, the government created a plan to address the danger of not having cellular reception in some of Quebec’s most remote areas, including a lack of reception for 911 and other emergency services.
The vast majority of the cell towers will be constructed by Videotron, Sogetel Mobilité, and TELUS (NYSE: TU). Quebec says construction is expected to be completed by 2027.
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