New communication towers imminent

Posted on: Staff Writer

 Shannon LeClair    

Times Reporter    
 
At the July 2 Wheatland County Council meeting, Rogers Communications made a presentation to council about new towers planned for the county.  The approving authority for the proposed towers is Industry Canada, but Carol Robinson, municipal relations specialist for Rogers said they try to work collectively with municipalities and consult with them, and the public in many cases. 
“We have identified many gaps in rural Alberta, we want to ensure that our rural customers experience the same quality of service as our city customers,” said Robinson in an email interview.
“Our priority is to ensure that coverage is seamless across the county, not only for enjoyment of wireless device usage, but for access to emergency services as well.”
One of the main concerns brought up when discussing new towers is that of health and safety. Robinson said that is something that is also a top priority for Rogers Communications. 
“We are regulated by Industry Canada and Health Canada, they provide the guidelines to ensure that our sites are safe,” said Robinson. 
“We adhere to a study called Safety Codes 6, it outlines the safe exposure from RF (radio frequency). We are typically 99 per cent below the maximum allowable to ensure that if safety is questioned, we exceed the safety requirement.”
Robinson said Rogers tries to make an effort not to place a tower in a residential area, but said at times it may be necessary, if the demand is coming from those areas. Rogers uses taller towers in rural areas – the maximum height is 107m- to be able to cover a larger range and increased capacity.
“Towers are not only built for coverage, but capacity.  If a lot of users are drawing from one tower, it may mean a second tower is required to assist with capacity. Circumstances vary all over Alberta,” said Robinson. 
For now the installation of new towers is still a while away. The meeting with the county was to inform council about the plans for new towers, and discuss potential sites and address concerns.