5 New Cell Towers Coming to Quebec’s Granit MRC by Year-End

Five new cellular towers will be constructed and operational by the end of the year in the MRC du Granit region of Quebec, announced Minister of Cybersecurity and Digital Affairs Gilles Bélanger on Friday morning in Saint-Romain.

The new towers will be built in the municipalities of Milan, Saint-Sébastien, Piopolis, Audet, and Lac-Drolet. The Government of Quebec is fully funding the construction, with operations to be managed by Sogetel.

“The major impact for us is security,” explained Audet Mayor Danièle Provencher. “We are about 15 or 16 kilometers from the neighboring village. What that means is that we are not covered if an accident happens,” she said, welcoming the construction of the tower which is intended to address this issue.

The demand for improved cellular service has been voiced for years, according to Saint-Sébastien Mayor France Bisson. “It’s about getting to 2026, like citizens everywhere in Quebec,” she stated.

Quebec committed in 2022 to building 202 new towers across the province by December 2026 as part of its “Opération couverture cellulaire” (Cellular Coverage Operation). “All the towers will be completed by Christmas,” confirmed Minister Bélanger. He added, though, “There is a need for more.”

To incentivize telecommunications companies to establish themselves in these rural areas, Quebec is financing 100% of the tower construction, at an average cost of $1.7 million per tower, according to Bélanger. He estimates that 400 more towers are needed to cover the entire province, while noting that the issue ultimately falls under federal jurisdiction.

“Just like with Internet access, we took the lead… At the cellular level, it’s the same thing, but we are alone. We have already invested more than $200 million and Ottawa hasn’t put a penny into it. We would very much like to have the participation of Ottawa,” Bélanger said.

During the press conference, Mégantic Member of Parliament François Jacques thanked and congratulated his CAQ colleague, while also noting that several sectors within his riding are awaiting similar announcements regarding cellular coverage.

“We have issues everywhere. The MRC du Granit will be deployed, but the rest still needs to be,” Jacques commented, responding to questions from journalists after the conference.

Gilles Bélanger has been the Minister of Cybersecurity and Digital Affairs since February 28, 2025, according to the National Assembly of Quebec website. He was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Orford in 2018, representing the Coalition Avenir Québec party.