Skip to content

New cell phone service between Revelstoke and Malakwa

One of two new towers is now operational. Together, they will bring cell service to about 35 kilometres of the Trans-Canada.

A new Telus tower between Revelstoke and Malakwa is now operating and another is expected to be completed in January. Together, the two towers are expected or bring wireless service to a total of about 35-kilometres of the Trans-Canada between the two communities.

The tower now in service is located about 30 kilometres west of Revelstoke.

The second tower will be located roughly 20 kilometres west of Revelstoke north of the Mt. Griffin Ecological Reserve, which is located near Griffin Lake and Three Valley Lake. It is expected to be operational in January.

Steve Jenkins is the TELUS general manager for the Southern Interior. “Our significant investment in a site serving Highway 1 gives motorists, as well as area residents and businesses, the convenience of making hands-free wireless calls along a well-travelled stretch of highway," he said. "[It] expands access to 911, and allows for great broadband service where it may not be possible to build wired Internet access.”

The project is part of agreement between TELUS and the province of B.C. The 10-year program aims to add wireless service to 1,700 kilometres of highway in B.C.

The wireless towers will improve emergency services on the highway; motorists currently have to get to a landline to report incidents in the area. First responders such as police often have to route communications through radio dispatchers instead of calling directly.

In addition, the towers will provide some cell service to backcountry in the Eagle Pass area, a popular snowmobile destination.