New provincial alert app aims to fill gaps in N.S. cellular coverage

The provincial government has launched a new app aimed at giving Nova Scotians more access to emergency alerts.

According to the government, the new NS Alert app helps fill in gaps in cellular coverage as the province works on building out capacity for cell service in rural areas with plans for new cell towers across the province.

Emergency Management Minister Kim Masland said the alerts work with older mobile phones using 3G networks or Wi-Fi.

“Meaning it can provide emergency alerts in many areas of the province with low cellular coverage,” Masland explained. “The current national Alert Ready system requires 5G or LTE networks, which we know are not available in many parts of rural Nova Scotia.”

Alerts on the app will include both “critical” alerts, which will be similar to Alert Ready alerts, and “advisory” alerts, which will let people know about things like re-entry after evacuations and road closures.

The province notes that Nova Scotians can customize the app to their liking by setting the type of alerts they want to receive, the communities they want to be notified about and the language they want to receive the alerts in.

The app can be downloaded now at the Apple Store or Google Play.

Province is working on cell coverage

Last year, Nova Scotia said it was spending $18.6 million to build 27 new telecommunication towers, hoping to boost cell coverage across some rural portions of the province.

The government has been under pressure to increase coverage after some rural residents didn’t receive emergency alerts during recent weather-related disasters. But Masland previously said these improvements won’t be seen immediately.

While cellphone reception is a safety issue, the task of fixing the gaps in coverage will be gradual, she said.

“This is like climbing Mount Everest,” Masland told The Canadian Press. “We are at the bottom and we are working our way up. This is going to take time.”

In October 2023, the provincial government announced an initial investment of $47.3 million to connect the 20,000 civic addresses and 1,010 kilometres of primary roads in Nova Scotia with poor cellular service. As part of that initial funding, Masland said that Rogers has been chosen to upgrade 27 existing tower sites and connect them to its network. The telecommunications giant will install wireless broadband capabilities and add generators to the tower locations.

Meanwhile, officials said four mobile towers announced last fall are scheduled to be in place next spring with the remaining new and upgraded sites expected to be ready for service between next summer and the spring of 2027.

Masland said once the 27 new towers and other work is completed, coverage will be provided to 62 per cent of the province’s underserved areas and to more than 562 kilometres of underserved roads and highways.

The overall goal is to eventually reach 99 per cent coverage, she said

With files from The Canadian Press.

Rogers is the parent company of CityNews Halifax and 95.7 NewsRadio.