Improved cell coverage coming to Hwy 4 between Tofino, Port Alberni
Telecommunications giant Rogers is expanding wireless service along Highway 4 between Port Alberni and Tofino.
Cell service is expected to improve along an 85-kilometre stretch of the highway, once six new cellular towers are built and two existing ones are upgraded, according to the company.
The new cell coverage is expected to improve safety for commuters, and "bridge the digital divide" for more rural areas of the island, says Rogers.
"For people travelling between Tofino and Port Alberni, whether they’re locals, people visiting family, or those here to enjoy the beauty of the West Coast, Highway 4 can be cause for concern," said Josie Osborne, MLA for Mid Island-Pacific Rim, in a release Monday.
"Our government is hard at work making safety improvements to the highway and increasing cellular coverage along the same stretch, meaning people will be even safer," she said.
No timeline on when the Highway 4 cell expansion project would complete was announced Monday.
Rogers has partnered with the province to expand cell coverage along several highways across the province, including Highway 14 on Vancouver Island.
Last year, Rogers announced it was improving cell coverage along a 70-kilometre stretch of Highway 14 between Sooke and Port Renfrew.
Correction
A previous version of this story stated that Rogers had partnered with the B.C. government on this project.
While the company has partnered with the province on other cell projects, this project is being entirely funded by Rogers.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Explosion at train station leads to discovery of stolen car on Montreal's South Shore: police
Police are investigating after a BMW exploded in the St-Lambert Exo train station parking lot on Montreal's South Shore.
Parliamentary report on Emergencies Act decision is 18 months past due — and counting
The erstwhile group of senators and MPs studying the federal government's invocation of the Emergencies Act over the "Freedom Convoy" was supposed to present its findings in December. December of 2022, that is.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
A candidate for Germany's key party was beaten up while campaigning for European elections
A candidate for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left party in next month's election for the European Parliament was beaten up and seriously injured while campaigning in an eastern city, the party said Saturday.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.