People driving on Highway 3 to the east of Osoyoos will see expanded reception with their cellular phones for many parts of the journey to Alberta.

Telus last week announced the completion of a $5-million project to bring wireless service to about 105 km of highway with the construction of five new wireless towers.

The expansion also brings wireless service to the community of Bridesville east of Osoyoos, Kitchener, Curzon and Yahk east of Creston, and Lumberton, located south of Cranbrook.

In addition to providing service to Telus customers, the new towers will also benefit customers of Bell Mobility, which has a tower-sharing arrangement with Telus.

Rogers Wireless customers will gain access to the new towers only for 9-1-1 emergency calls.

The new towers provide 4G LTE (Long-Term Evolution) high-speed wireless data service, said Liz Sauvé, a spokesperson for Telus.

The work was completed over the past 10 months with the final site near McConnel east of Creston switched on last week, Sauvé said.

Last year Telus spent $715,000 to bring new service to 13 km of Highway 3 between Keremeos and Hedley; $675,000 to bring service to 14 km of Highway 3A between Keremeos and Kaleden; and $350,000 to bring service to Highway 3 between Princeton and Hedley, she added.

The recent upgrades east of Osoyoos include:

  • 11 km near Anarchist Mountain;
  • 22 km near Bridesville;
  • 16 km through Kitchener;
  • 31 km through Yahk and Curzon;
  • 25 km near Lumberton and Moyle.
  • The project is part of the 10-year Connecting British Columbia Agreement Telus signed with B.C. in 2011, Telus said in a news release.

Under that agreement, the company will connect more than 1,700 km of highways across the province with wireless service.

“We recognize the growing demand for wireless services while on the road, particularly in Okanagan areas that may be impacted by forest fires in the summer and snow storms in the winter, making quick access to 9-1-1 critical to saving lives and property,” said Steve Jenkins, Telus general manager for the Southern Interior.

“Bringing wireless services to these stretches of highway enhances the safety of travel for residents and visitors, while also bringing much-anticipated new coverage to area communities,” Jenkins added.

RICHARD McGUIRE

Osoyoos Times