Putting cellphone dead zones on the map

A southwestern Manitoba man has constructed a map to identify areas with no or weak cell service, aiming to advocate for improved connectivity in rural regions. Mark Custance gathered over 300 citizen reports over recent months to pinpoint where service is strong, spotty, or completely absent. Custance, who operates a cell-service booster in Melita, cross-references service quality data with the locations of cellphone towers in the area.

The map covers roughly 250 miles from Carman to Weyburn, Saskatchewan, and 200 miles from Brandon to the U.S. border, where customers experience roaming notifications due to stronger U.S. tower signals overpowering Canadian ones.

Custance is particularly concerned about the lack of emergency notifications reaching some individuals, especially volunteer firefighters who have reached out to express their inability to receive critical alerts. In a tragic case, Dean Switzer, a 55-year-old man, died of a heart attack in the Interlake after 90 minutes of CPR attempts while his family and friends tried to reach 911, unaware that his Telus service was not functioning. Switzer's case highlights the risks associated with poor cell service in rural areas.

Despite Telus attributing the recent outage to a Bell equipment failure, rural residents have long complained about an inadequate connection to emergency services, according to Custance. The 41-year-old, a councillor in the Municipality of Two Borders, is seeking the Progressive Conservative nomination for the Turtle Mountain constituency and has been advocating for improvements alongside provincial and federal officials.

Bell MTS spokesperson Elise von Scheel acknowledged that rural expansion, including new cell towers, is a challenge due to private investment limitations, stating that the company is open to partnerships with provincial and federal governments to expand its network.

However, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) response suggests that LTE coverage is available in 94.6% of populated areas, leaving Custance skeptical. He questioned the threshold of telecom companies' willingness to invest in new technology, expressing his disappointment that even with technological advancements, service conditions seem to worsen.

Bell discontinued its 3G network service in Manitoba in December, compelling customers to upgrade devices or forgo connectivity options such as Starlink satellites or reliance on internet connections.

The Association of Manitoba Municipalities has addressed connectivity concerns at its annual general meetings, with two motions set to be voted on at the upcoming November convention. Kathy Valentino, president of the association and a city councillor in Thompson, emphasized that cell service issues pose a significant challenge for emergencies and economic development, as businesses are unlikely to locate in areas with poor cellphone connectivity. Valentino expressed the need to maintain awareness of this issue among provincial policymakers.