Ottawa has ruled that all TTC subway riders must have cellular connectivity by October 3rd, regardless of their provider.
Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne shared the details of the new spectrum licence conditions in Toronto on Monday.
“Cellular connectivity on the subway is about more than just convenience. It is a critical public safety matter. TTC passengers have waited too long to access cellular services when riding the subway,” the Minister said in a press release.
Under the conditions, carriers are required to “quickly” work on expanding the existing network to provide voice, text, and data services throughout the subway system.
The press release states carriers will need to work “within ambitious and specific timeframes.”
An Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) spokesperson said carriers will need to have commercial agreements in place within the next 100 days, with up to three years to bring full coverage.
Specifically, carriers will have six months to bring coverage to all stations, two years to cover 80 percent of the tunnels, and three years to cover 100 percent of the tunnels, once they have entered an agreement with Rogers.
The company acquired the rights to the infrastructure in April, which led to a fierce debate about access between providers. The back and forth led ISED to launch a consultation to examine the matter.
The Minister could impose penalties, including suspending a carrier’s spectrum license, if they don’t meet the conditions.
More to come…
Source: ISED
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