Telus is spending $1.6 million in 2015 on communications infrastructure in Osoyoos, much of that to improve cellular phone coverage.
The announcement of this year’s investment follows the completion of a major project last year to bring a fibre-optic network to Osoyoos homes and businesses.
Steve Jenkins, Telus general manager for the B.C. Southern Interior, said the cellular investment would increase capacity and speed.
Osoyoos currently has partial access to LTE (Long-Term Evolution) 4G cellular data, but the network is being upgraded so that all towers in Osoyoos and along the Highway 3 corridor will support this faster data standard, Jenkins said.
“This year really comes down to addressing capacity,” said Jenkins. “Our cellular or wireless business comes down to supporting growth and things like seasonal demand.”
Jenkins pointed to the thousands of visitors who come to Osoyoos during the summer, noting that many use cellular to stream media.
Also included in this year’s investment is deployment of the 700-megahertz wireless spectrum, which gives additional capacity and eliminates the need for additional towers.
“The 700 MHz gives us the opportunity to provide a lot greater coverage off of a single antenna in comparison to other wireless technologies,” said Jenkins. “It’s perfect for a place like Osoyoos where there are geographic challenges in terms of hills and mountains.”
The 700 MHz band also allows Telus to provide more bandwidth on demand during the spike in use in the summer months, he said.
Telus is also involved in a partnership with the provincial government to extend cellular coverage along Highway 3 from Sparwood near the Alberta border to Hope in the Fraser Valley.
“By the end of 2015, for the most part, that corridor will be covered,” said Jenkins. “There will be a few trouble spots just given the topology, but we’ve developed approximately 20 sites in the last three years along the Highway 3 corridor. So it’s great news for emergency responders and travellers.”
The entire expansion along Highway 3 will provide the faster LTE data standard, he added.
Throughout the province, the expanded coverage will extend over 1,700 km of highways, Jenkins said.
Most of Osoyoos was connected to fibre optic last year, but Telus is continuing to connect businesses and multi-unit dwellings such as apartments, townhouses, campgrounds and hotels.
The fibre optic network allows faster internet speeds as well as expanding the offerings for digital television.
Telus is also investing in Telus Health, a project to bring electronic medical records to more than 14,000 Canadian physicians and benefits management solutions to more than 9,000 pharmacies, 11,000 dental clinics and 25,000 extended healthcare providers across Canada.
Liz Sauvé, a Telus spokesperson, said Telus Health would also empower average people to be more in control of their health by accessing records online.
“We’ve invested $1.5 billion to date in Telus Health,” Sauvé said. “If you look at some of our competitors, they find themselves in the media business. What we’ve decided to do at Telus is think how we can leverage the technology and services that we innovate every day for the Canadian healthcare market.”
Telus also makes other investments in the Osoyoos community, Jenkins and Sauvé pointed out.
The company has expanded its local team by two people, Jenkins said.
It has also provided funding for community causes through sponsorships including the Osoyoos Splash Park, the Osoyoos Childcare Centre Society and the Canada Day fireworks.
Recently Telus held a Telus WISE session at the Osoyoos branch of the Okanagan Regional Library to teach people of all ages how to be safe online and use social media safely. WISE is an acronym standing for Wise Internet and Smartphone Education.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
