BARRHEAD - Town of Barrhead Coun. Ty Assaf says the municipality needs to do more to pressure Telus to improve its cellular coverage in the area, suggesting they should even involve the Barrhead Regional Fire Services (BRFS).
That is what Assaf told council at its Sept. 10 meeting, asking that the topic be discussed as a last-minute addition to the agenda.
"This is getting to be a bit of déjà vu with me," Assaf said, noting he has brought concerns about Telus' cellular coverage in the town to council before.
This time, Assaf said, it was prompted by a conversation he had with members of the BRFS.
"They are quite concerned about what is happening with the [cellular communications networks], he said. "They've had individuals who have needed help from emergency services and have had their calls dropped."
Later in the meeting, council instructed the administration to draft a letter to the province expressing their concerns about declining cellular service coverage.
Assaf noted that Parkland County provides emergency 911 dispatch service for the Barrhead area.
He said the Parkland County dispatch centre has told the BRFS that while every region provides 911 service for experienced dropped calls, the percentage from the Barrhead area is significantly higher.
Assaf said it is not just a safety issue for residents but also emergency service providers.
He added that BRFS and other emergency services also depend on cellular coverage to communicate with each other, as well as 911 and other services.
Assaf said he has also experienced problems in downtown Barrhead on Main Street, adding cellphone connectivity has especially been poor over the last month.
"I can't get a bloody connection while walking on Main Street," he said.
Assaf said the BRFS is willing to endorse any letter the town writes to Telus or anyone else highlighting its problems with cellular connectivity.
"Enough is enough," he said.
Assaf added another telecommunication company will be "putting up" a tower soon.
"I can guarantee they will provide better service, and I know I'm going to jump to them," he said.
Coun. Rod Klumph agreed the town needs to do something to force Telus' hand, suggesting they also send letters to Municipal Affairs Minister Rick McIver, copying in Athabasca-Barrhead-Westlock MLA Glenn van Dijken.
"This seems to be a problem that's impacting the whole area, and it might be helpful to get a higher level of government to step in and tell providers that they have to look after [people living in rural communities], and you can't just drop us," he said.
Coun. Dausen Kluin suggested they invite a Telus representative to talk to them directly.
"A letter is good, but it is just a letter," he said.
Assaf replied that he doesn't believe talking to a Telus rep would have any impact.
"They would answer some questions, try to make you feel good, and that's it," he said. "We don't need them to do damage control; we need them to fix the issue."
BRFS
BRFS chief Gary Hove said the poor cellular coverage concerns his members, adding that he has noticed a decline in connectivity in the last two years, but it has especially in the past year.
"It has definitely affected us," he said. "We can't communicate because one person can't talk or hear the other person or the call gets dropped altogether."
Hove said that although the fire department uses its radios on the Alberta First Responders Radio Communications System (AFRRCS) for much of its communication, there are deaf areas, so the BRFS relies on cellphones to supplement its coverage.
He added firefighters also use cell phones to pass potentially sensitive information.
Although AFRRCS is digital, and conventional radio scanners can no longer intelligibly receive its signals, equipment, albeit expensive, allows the public to eavesdrop on its communications.
Hove added they also use cell phones to communicate with other emergency services or agencies that aren't on the AFRRCS, such as STARS Air Ambulance and Alberta Fish and Wildlife.
"There are also times when we need to call 911, EMS, or they can't get a hold of us," he said.
Hove added firefighters also rely on the cellular network to access the IamResponding cell phone app, which acts as a page and gives first responders access to critical incident information.
However, he said he is more concerned about residents who need help and do not get it because of problems with the cellular network.
"There are fewer people who have landlines, and they are decreasing all the time because the phone companies will or cannot give them the service and rely totally on their cell phones," he said. "So having a reliable cellular network is essential."
History
As previously mentioned, it is not the first time Assaf has brought his concerns over the telecommunication company's cellular coverage, or lack thereof, to council.
It was the third time the councillor brought the cellphone connectivity issue to council.
The first was in September 2022, after Assaf noticed a drop-off in the reliability of cellular phone service, particularly voice service. The next time was a year later, in October 2023, following the Alberta Municipalities' (AM) fall convention, he spoke to Telus representatives who encouraged Barrhead residents to report any problems to the company, noting the "squeaky wheel gets the grease".
At the time, Telus told the Barrhead Leader the issue was due to an equipment malfunction and that it would be rectified within the week.
The County of Barrhead council and municipal administration also expressed concern about cellular coverage.
In October 2022, County of Barrhead councillors instructed administration staff to draft a resolution asking Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) to help pressure telecommunication companies to improve cellular service in rural areas, specifically to lobby the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to address the lack of reliable cellular network.
In June 2023, the county reiterated to visiting RMA executive director Gerald Rhodes and District 3 director John Burrows that the organization must continue its lobbying efforts.
About a month ago, infrastructure director Ken Hove also told councillors about issues area septic haulers were having at some of the municipality's wastewater lagoon facilities. They were having trouble accessing and leaving the facilities because they could not control the gates accessed by calling a specific telephone number.
A Telus spokesperson said in an e-mail the tower serving the municipality and area is fully operational.
"Multiple factors can impact wireless connectivity, such as the distance of the tower from the community, weather events or an increase in demand for capacity on the network. We understand how important connectivity is to the Barrhead community, and our team regularly evaluates the local network and its performance. We’re always exploring options to further enhance the reliability and availability of our services, and we’re committed to working with all levels of government to continue to improve network connectivity in more rural areas."
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
