More funding for connectivity for rural and remote communities has been announced by the province.
The community of Wells will benefit.
Telus will add six kilometres of additional coverage along Highway 26 into the community.
The Jack-of-Clubs Lake rest area will also be upgraded to offer Wi-Fi to travellers.
Quesnel Search and Rescue is among the groups applauding the province’s announcement.
Manager Gerald Shut.
“Cellphone technology can help reduce the time it takes to locate and rescue lost adventurers. For search and rescue, as well as other emergency responders, cellphone towers allow us to stay better connected and access real-time mapping to support situational awareness.”
Parliamentary Secretary Roly Russell said the announcement is a part of the province’s goal to provide remote and rural communities with broadband.
“This announcement around cellular is similar in terms of connecting people in terms of what they need, whether that’s economic resiliency, healthcare and access to appointments and so on so, we see this as an investment in our rural BC communities,” he said.
Russell added there has been large amounts of energy that have been put into getting connectivity whether it’s broadband or cellular.
He also said the announcement is a part of a package that has a target of 140 km.
“We’re on track at this point to triple that and have around BC closer to 430km of approved projects,” Russell said.
The projects are expected to be completed by this October.