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Nova Scotia plans to build 27 new cell phone towers that will provide service to areas of the province that are currently without coverage.
Public Works Minister Kim Masland announced the investment Wednesday at the Greenfield Fire Department which currently isn’t covered with cellular service.
“Nova Scotians need reliable cell service. It’s no longer a luxury; it’s a matter of safety and everyone deserves access,” said Kim Masland, “This important investment will enhance coverage in rural and remote communities across our province.”
Greenfield is one the areas getting a new tower and Greenfield Fire Chief Moyal Conrad described it as a “game changer” noting he currently makes calls with wifi when at the station.
Currently, there are about 20,000 unserved civic addresses and 1,010 kilometres of unserved primary roads in Nova Scotia
Additionally, the province is contracting Rogers to upgrade 27 existing tower sites and connect them to the Rogers 5G network.
The province will retain ownership of the towers being constructed with Maslad saying that telecoms companies have expressed no interest in building towers of their own.
Therefore the province is investing $18.6 million in the Cellular for Nova Scotia Program which will fund the new builds and upgrades. That comes in addition to the initial investment of $47.3 million to start the Cellular for Nova Scotia Program in October 2023.
Details on where individual towers will be going can be found through the Build Nova Scotia website.
The first four towers will be in place next spring, with the remaining new and upgraded sites in place between next summer and the spring of 2027.
