It has been an improvement that the community has been fighting for for years.
Now Drake, along with Govan, Muenster, Lake Lenore, Weldon, Semans, and Spalding, will be seeing improvements to their 4G LTE cellular services through “Phase 2 of a four-phase initiative to provide rural communities with enhanced access to reliable cellular and high speed internet services” according to a recent government press release.
Sasktel announced in December 2017 that 100 locations would receive upgrades to their rural cell coverage. The current release noted 43 communities that will see small cell sites being completed before March of 2019. The other 57 locations will be announced at a later time with the list still being finalized.
Mayor of Drake Peter Nicholson says cell service in the small village has been non-existent.
“In my house, I can occasionally get a signal in my living room but most often by the window I can pick up a signal and it’ll be dropped.”
Numerous petitions have gone out over the past three years to Sasktel to ask for improved services, as well as community members contacting them to complain about the level of service in Drake, says Nicholson.
“They came out initially and said there was nothing they could do. We were in a V between Watous and Lanigan and they couldn’t do anything to improve it. That’s been back and forth many times.”
Many people in Drake are turning off their landlines, says Nicholson.
A 30-metre tower has been planned for in town that should offer full service within Drake, Nicholson has been told by Sasktel. They are hoping to see the tower installed by the end of summer 2018.
Lake Lenore is also slatted to see improvements that mayor Travis Thompson is looking forward to.
Service is spotty within town and especially in the surrounding rural area, he says.
“I hope it covers our area. I know the fire department has always got trouble in the area with cell service up in Verndale and out in St. James, smaller rural places that are around us that just have poor coverage.”
So far Lake Lenore has been approved for the upgrade, however, no timeline has been set for when the tower will be installed.
