Telus upgrade could hurt rural B.C. cell customers
01.09.2008 10:02
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- Source: cbc.ca
Residents in rural areas of British Columbia say they could be left without phone service when Telus Mobility phases out its analog cellphone service as part of its continuing upgrade to a digital-only network. Maintenance problems have forced the company to end the first-generation cellphone service, Telus spokesperson Shawn Hall said Friday. "We can't get the parts to fix it anymore," Hall said. "So, as a result, we're retiring our analog network, and I believe we are the last wireless carrier to do so." Liz Hamilton, corporate communications director at Rogers Communications, said Friday its analog system was shut down in May, 2007. Ike Smith, who lives in a remote area near Quesnel, south of Prince George in northern B.C., told CBC News his link to the outside world could soon be coming to an end, as his only means of communication is his analog cellphone. "Without the phone we've got nothing. We'll be back to what we were in the '70s," Smith said. Analog cellphone signals may be the only ones that work in some areas, Hall said. There are no landlines into the area, Hall said, and Telus is looking for a cost-sharing formula that would allow residents to put a landline in. In the past, Hall said, residents have declined. Hall did not know how many people or communities would be affected as the change takes place on the Telus network across the country. "It’s $1 million to do one tower," Hall said, adding that installing in a new cellphone tower can cover an area anywhere from a few hundred metres, to 40 kilometres depending on the terrain. Telus might install digital amplifiers, but they may not work for everyone, Hall said. Rural residents "have chosen to live in the middle of nowhere and it's not untypical to get a different level of service in a rural area from anybody, whether it's a phone provider or anything else," Hall said. That's no comfort to people like Smith. "Take your phone out of the wall for a week and you'll know exactly what it would feel like. To society now, it's an essential service," Smith said. Consumer HeadlinesB.C. death raises listeriosis outbreak toll to 9The nationwide outbreak of listeriosis is being blamed for a ninth death, the first outside Ontario, public health officials said Friday afternoon.Aviation industry slow to act on safety issues, investigators sayA decade after the Swissair Flight 111 crash off Nova Scotia that claimed 229 lives, the aviation industry has yet to act on recommendations stemming from one of lengthiest and most expensive air investigations in Canadian history.Calgary crime fuels jump in women buying gunsThe number of women buying guns and taking target practice at a Calgary business has jumped six-fold partly as a response to rising crime in the city, says the owner.Zoom's classic entrepreneur: some wins, a loss Hugh Boyle, a Scot transplated to Ottawa in 1998 where he began Zoom Airlines, has had successes and failures in the air travel business.GM recalls 944,000 vehicles with heated wiper fluid featureGeneral Motors is recalling 944,000 vehicles because of a problem with a heated windshield wiper fluid system that could lead to a fire. Consumer Life FeaturesIN DEPTHFood safetyFrequently asked questions about listeriaYOUR INTERVIEWBack to school tipsAn expert takes your questionsSAFETYRecalls and AdvisoriesYOUR INTERVIEWListeriosisDr. Allison McGeer takes questions on the outbreakBLOGFood BytesListeria hysteria?BLOGComm-OdditiesFarmer's winePeople who read this also read …
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