Roy L Hales / Cortes Currents -The wireless vs fibre optic debate is about to heat up on Cortes and Quadra Islands.
TELUS intends to erect cell phone towers on both islands during 2022, and the Connected Coast project will wrap up this fall.
>>> Last Mile Schedule
Cortes Island Regional Director Noba Anderson outlined the last mile schedule for cable:
“In the next week or two you’ll be receiving communications from the Strathcona Regional District about the roll out of this last mile fibre optic connectivity to your home. The intention is that mid June through July, they will be doing ‘house-drops.’ Bringing it from your pole, or the end of your driveway, literally to your house, like your hydro or telephone.”
“It will be optional, but free. You don’t have to connect up to it. If you want the house ‘house-drop’ now, you can connect up to it next year, or in ten years, or never.”
“Over the course of the later summer/fall, we’ll be running the wires down the public road system.”
Anderson added, “I would like to get all of that infrastructure in and all the funds received from senior government before we have cell phone towers, just so there isn’t any concern about us being considered ‘served’ for internet connectivity and for whatever reason some of the funding revoked.”
>>> The wireless vs fibre optic debate
She expects the wireless vs fibre optic debate on Cortes to be “a really hot one that I don’t look forward to being in the middle of.”
“Some people think cell phone connectivity is just basic safety. Lives are lost because of it (not being in place), businesses require it and it is paramount to civilization. Others believe that the 5G that will come with these towers is cancer causing. It is everywhere in the world and lets have a pocket of sanity where that doesn’t exist.”
“I know that beliefs are held very strongly on both sides of that continuum and so I want a very significant and meaningful consultation where TELUS shares with us what they are intending on those towers, and where people have an opportunity to be heard and hear each other. If, indeed the community wants cell phone towers, I will support it and the Regional District will support it.”
