TASHI FARMILO
LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE

MRC PONTIAC – Quebec’s plan to expand cellular coverage in underserved parts of the province, including the Pontiac, is now expected to conclude by the end of 2026—earlier than some local officials anticipated.

At the recent Federation of Quebec Municipalities conference, Pontiac Warden Jane Toller pressed for clarification on the timeline for the project in the Pontiac after prior indications suggested it might be deferred until 2028. Provincial representatives confirmed, however, that the target date remains the end of 2026.

In the Pontiac, mobile service remains unreliable and investment from private providers like Bell has been limited. Low population density and high infrastructure costs have made conventional tower expansion commercially unattractive. In response, the province is pivoting toward a mixed approach that combines satellite coverage with smaller antenna systems mounted on municipal infrastructure.

Although a portion of the Pontiac already has limited access to mobile service via Starlink satellites, officials caution against long-term dependence on foreign-controlled networks. The provincial government has flagged concerns about communications security and emergency preparedness, noting such services can be interrupted without notice. Quebec is now working with federal authorities to establish a domestically managed satellite communications network.

Minister Gilles Bélanger, who leads the province’s rural connectivity portfolio, said testing is underway in dead zones between existing towers, and the government is exploring how municipal assets might be used to host supplementary antenna systems.

In parallel with these ground-based efforts, Quebec has invested $10 million in Reaction Dynamics, a Longueuil-based aerospace company developing a small satellite launch vehicle. The Aurora hybrid-fuel rocket is designed to place payloads weighing up to 200 kilograms into orbit, with a demonstration launch planned for the end of this year and commercial operations targeted for 2027. The rocket’s streamlined propulsion system—consisting of fewer than a dozen components—offers a safer and more cost-efficient alternative to traditional liquid-fuel rockets.

Part of the funding also supports Maya HTT, a Montreal firm creating advanced simulation tools for engine design and optimization. The initiative is part of a broader strategy to improve communications infrastructure in regions still lacking reliable mobile service.