Thousands on P.E.I. still face concerning cell gaps as winter weather hits

A cell tower is pictured in rural Ontario on Wednesday, July 15, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

As temperatures drop and weather warnings stack up, thousands of people on P.E.I. still can’t count on cell service at home or along key roads, raising new concerns about how to call for help in emergencies every minute matters.

Cellular service analysis released this year found more than 2,200 kilometres of Island roads have no coverage inside vehicles, and another 800-plus kilometres have no coverage outside. Nearly 7,000 civic addresses have no indoor service at all, and roughly 2,500 are considered outdoor dead zones.

Karen Forrest with Citizens on Patrol knows the public safety risk all too well.

“I do driving patrols at night. … It’s not so reliable when you’re trying to call an emergency number,” Forrest says. “I’ve had that concern once before – trying to dial 911 for a medical emergency just outside Charlottetown.”

Others outside a grocery store in North River shared similar sentiments.

“If you get stuck on a dirt road and have to walk a mile or more to get service, it’s pretty hard,” says Jacinta Gallant. She also has poor service in some areas of her house, which is why she keeps a landline.

“I work from home, work in the basement, so sometimes calls won’t come through,” says James O’Halloran. “I think it totally could be a safety risk.”

The federal government’s connectivity strategy warns that gaps in coverage pose safety concerns for motorists and travellers in need of emergency services.

Dalhousie University computer science professor Paul Ralph agrees dead zones can come with serious safety implications. He says that in October 2017, while driving along a rural road near Penticton, B.C., he came across a car that had flipped upside down into a freezing river.

Inside was a young boy, about five or six years old. The woman who appeared to be his mother had been driving; she wasn’t seriously injured but couldn’t free him. A long-haul truck driver who also stopped smashed the window and pulled the child out — but there was no cell service. Another passerby had to drive until he found a signal.

“By the time the ambulance arrived, the boy was sat upright, breathing,” Ralph says, adding that when the child was first pulled from the water, “he looked dead, not breathing and white as a ghost.” He says he understands the boy recovered, “but 40 minutes is a long time to wait.”

Ralph says satellites can help in emergencies, but cell towers remain cheaper, more reliable and more environmentally sustainable.

“P.E.I. is not that big,” he says. “You can get good cellular coverage across the Island with not that many microwave towers.”

The provincial government says it has committed $3.4 million toward improving cellular services, beginning with the purchase of micro towers that can be mounted on publicly owned buildings. The installations are expected in 2026, to improve service.

In the meantime, the Department of Economic Development, Innovation and Trade says Wi-Fi calling may help residents with weak indoor coverage. The department also notes that “direct satellite-to-cell” capability, now being introduced by some service providers and device manufacturers, could assist in emergencies. Officials recommend residents check with their provider to see whether the feature is available.

Beyond safety, Ralph says stronger digital connectivity has significant economic benefits.

He points to a 2024 B.C. government study estimating that rural connectivity investments generate more than $8 in economic growth for every $1 spent. He says it’s a model for rural regions across Canada.

“When you spend money on connecting people digitally, it’s like 800 per cent payback,” Ralph says.

Better service would also support tools that have become central to daily life — virtual medical appointments, online banking and government services, remote monitoring for seniors, and smart-agriculture systems.

But Ralph argues that Canada’s telecom landscape makes improvements harder. He says Canadians pay some of the highest prices in the world for unreliable service, and that regulators such as the CRTC do not have enough power to enforce stronger consumer protections.

“Both lack of competition and the lack of meaningful regulation mean the consumer’s just getting screwed,” he says. “We could be doing this a lot better.”