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With the support of Bell, Rogers, TELUS and Vidéotron, the STM has improved the commuter experience and created the largest digital indoor network in Canada
Montréal, December 3, 2020 – The Société de Transport de Montréal (STM) and its partners—TELUS (as project integrator), Bell, Rogers and Vidéotron—are proud to announce that the deployment of the 4G LTE mobile network is now complete in all 68 stations and 71 km of tunnels that make up Montréal’s metro system. With the Jolicoeur, Monk and Angrignon stations connected today, this complex project, launched in 2013, has now been completed within its stated schedule, scope and budget, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic.
The project involved an investment of nearly $50 million—funded in equal parts by telecommunications providers Bell, Rogers, TELUS and Vidéotron—and it has provided the STM with Canada’s largest indoor digital network and the longest underground wireless network in the country. This special collaboration among the country’s largest telecom companies has brought uninterrupted connectivity and stable, 100% LTE coverage throughout the STM stations and trains. STM passengers can now enjoy a download speed of up to 275 Mbps, which is comparable to what they might get at home.
The upgrades required the deployment of radiant cable and antennas in tunnels, the installation of technical cabinets in stations, and the addition of five utility rooms containing specialized equipment and located at key points in the network to ensure optimal coverage.
Through close coordination and meticulous planning, the teams involved managed to complete the project in compliance with all of the key parameters defined for the project. Another fact worth mentioning is that this work was completed with minimal impact on STM commuters and did not require full or partial closures of any stations or entry points, nor did it cause any disruptions to passenger travel. All of this was achieved despite the inherent challenges of such a complex project and completed in an environment that tens of thousands of people walk through every day, with multiple work sites in progress at any given time.