Community of Perow to have additional cellphone coverage

• Story by Lindsay Newman, My Bulkley Lakes Now

More funding for connectivity for rural and remote communities has been announced by the province.

The community of Perow will have added cell phone coverage.

Telus will add eight kilometres of additional coverage in the community and along the Highway 16 corridor with funding provided by the province.

It has been given up to $911,000 for the infrastructure for the community.

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 have 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.

Meanwhile, cellular coverage will also be extended into the community of Wells for six kilometres along Highway 26.

The projects are expected to be completed by this October.