GREENSTONE — Dozens of Nakina residents are pressing Tbaytel to better the infrastructure they say will allow for prolonged cell service during power outages.
And those lobbying efforts are being backed by, and will get some extra weight from, Greenstone’s municipal council and city staff.
“Unfortunately, when power outages occur, local cell towers often go offline due to insufficient backup power systems,” said the letter from Marla Michel and addressed to Tbaytel’s president and CEO Paul Norris. “Although there is battery backup for a short period of time, we know that due to our location and age of the (power) line to Nakina, that the battery is depleted long before our power is restored.”
Michel’s letter was included in the agenda for Greenstone’s Sept. 22 council meeting as she was seeking council’s support and advocacy.
Her letter called the issue with the power outages an “urgent concern,” as more and more people rely on mobile phones for communication, including during hydro outages or other emergencies.
“As mobile connectivity has become essential for emergency communication, remote work, education and access to vital information, the loss of service during power outages poses a significant risk to public safety and daily life.”
In an email to Newswatch, Tbaytel said it’s aware of Greenstone-area residents’ concerns and that it takes all service interruptions seriously. The telecommunications company said its “procedures during outages are robust,” and, when power fails, include battery backup systems that, when depleted, are then supplemented by generators “which need to be maintained on site by our staff until power can be restored.”
“Our top priority is ensuring reliable service, and while our outage procedures are robust, we continuously review and improve them to ensure we are maintaining service during an outage,” Tbaytel’s email said.
When presented with Michel’s letter at its Sept. 22 meeting, members of Greenstone council — the amalgamated municipality includes Nakina — quickly endorsed a motion tabled by Nakina ward Coun. Matthew Donovan to have the municipality send its own similar correspondence to Tbaytel alongside the original letter.
“This one, we believe, is pretty clear, not only in terms of the impacts, but the importance,” Mark Wright, Greenstone’s CAO told council in response to Donovan’s motion, recommending the matter go directly to a vote. “It’s also in line with previous engagements that we’ve had with Tbaytel.”
Michel’s letter called on the telecommunications company to “prioritize the installation or enhancement of backup power solutions” like better battery reserves or generators that could power cell towers for longer during outages. Tbaytel told Newswatch it routinely tests its batteries at all sites.
“We already have solid plans in place for when outages occur, but we recognize that enhancements are necessary as new technology and infrastructure evolve,” the telecom said. “To meet the unique demands of serving northern Ontario, we continue to invest in a more resilient network,” adding that it is “committed to continuous improvement and providing the highest possible level of service.”
In her letter, Michel said outages affect many people, including seniors, families and vulnerable people.
“We believe that with coordinated support, we can work toward a solution that protects public safety and strengthens our emergency response capabilities.”
