Headline News

Mono maintains campaign to hasten cell, net improvements

September 11, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By JAMES MATTHEWS, LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER

Mono Centre is like the Bermuda Triangle of electronic reception in the Town of Mono.

So sayeth Mono Mayor John Creelman as part of his reply to a question by resident Olga Constantopoulos, who asked about progress toward reliable internet and cellphone service in Mono Centre.

“We are severely under serviced in this area and have been waiting for years to see improvement,” she said.

Mayor John Creelman said when council met Sept. 9 that improving cellphone service and high-speed internet in Mono has not gone as initially promised by Rogers Communications.

“It’s just terrible,” he said. “Anyone who has driven through Mono Centre knows to say to the person they are talking to, get ready to be dropped because nine times out of 10 it’s going to happen.”

He’s in touch with Rogers “frequently” to encourage them to quicken the pace of their rollout, he said.

In fact, he most recently sent emails to Rogers officials on behalf of some residents to ask the utility company when service will be provided to people who have the cable to their doorstep.

“At one point there was going to be 200-plus connections made and I have not heard that has actually occurred yet,” he said.

The need to improve a lacklustre cellphone service has also been impressed upon providers, he said.

Creelman said work to improve service is not being done by the municipality. But town staff have worked tirelessly to accommodate the service provider to complete the work.

“And we’re not letting up on it,” he said.

Granted, millions of dollars have been provided by the federal government for the project, but that’s limited to work on fibre optic high-speed internet service, said Councillor Melinda Davie.

She asked if there are resources that can be made available with respect to cell phone service.

“Nothing that we can do,” Creelman said. “But there is lots that the providers can do.”

Providers could create more space and capacity on service towers to accommodate more high-speed wireless users, he said.

“We also have a water tower in the south end that no longer has high speed wireless capacity,” he said. “And that’s open to any provider who wants to approach us and negotiate an arrangement.”

“That’s great for the south,” Davie said.

She suggested the town erect its own tower on municipal property that could be used by a service provider.

“Have we ever looked at that?” she said.

Creelman said the town delivering its own service hasn’t been discussed in some years.

“That was a proposition at one point and, for practical reasons, it was not pursued,” he said. “We could initiate some discussions with Bell and Rogers to see what’s possible.”

“I think we as a town, John, should be doing just what you suggested,” Coun. Ralph Manktelow said. “Getting in touch with Rogers and Bell to indicate that the municipality has concerns because its residents are complaining that they don’t have good coverage.”

“The old joke was you had to go out and stand on the right patio stone to get a cell signal,” Creelman said. “And hold the phone aloft.”

“It’s almost true,” Deputy Mayor Fred Nix said.

Readers Comments (0)