Anyone travelling west along Highway 3 headed to the Lower Mainland knows that there’s a few points along the way that do not have cellular service.
Local residents and Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen Area H director Bob Coyne hope at least in one area service will be improved.
Coyne received a petition in January with the signatures of 240 people urging for increased coverage along Highway 3 in the Eastgate area of Manning Park.
RDOS directors voted unanimously in favour of sending Telus a formal letter requesting increased coverage in the area at their meeting last week.
Tim Bouwmeester, manager of information services at the RDOS contacted Telus regarding the issue noting the public interest in increasing coverage. He said he was advised that the RDOS should write a letter.
“There are no plans to improve coverage (in the Eastgate area) in the near future,” he said.
In 2011, the provincial government awarded Telus a 10-year telecommunications service contract. One of the stipulations was that coverage increased along primary and secondary highways throughout the B.C.
Coyne, who heard from many residents and tourists in the area, hoped that Telus would reconsider.
“The province spends a lot of time to bring tourists to the Manning Park area and they can’t use phones there. There are international tourists coming and they can’t use their phones,” said Coyne.