Telus is planning to expand wireless cellular phone coverage in Squamish.
The company has written to the Mayor and council, seeking a letter of support as it applies for a federal grant.
The grant will enable Telus to build, operate and maintain the expanded cellular infrastructure in town.
The investment will ensure the network can withstand the demand of new technologies that will be added over time, according to company official Brian Gregg who wrote to the district.
“Improving connectivity within rural communities enables residents to engage in numerous aspects of the digital economy, including those residents from underrepresented groups,” he said. “Access to reliable internet also supports social services within communities and enables valuable avenues to serve residents.”
The federal government is investing $1.75 billion as part of the Universal Broadband Fund to support high-speed internet projects across the country.
Last week, the federal minister of rural economic development announced $6.7 million for Telus to bring high-speed Internet to rural residents of Pemberton, Steelhead, Ryder Lake, northwest of Princeton and the north Sunshine Coast.