Information for Service Providers
The municipality has created a concierge model to aid in the development and implementation of high speed internet infrastructure in The County.
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that are interested in expanding services in The County have a single point of contact at the municipality. The model streamlines the process and coordinates internal processes in order to better support ISPs that want to expand services to residents and businesses.
Wireless Communications
The County has developed the following process to guide the location of communication towers in Prince Edward County:
When an inquiry is received by the County of Prince Edward, the municipal Director of Operations shares with the proponent the requirements under the Location of Communication Towers Policy. Also, depending on the subject location, the Director of Operations advises the proponent about any other potential municipal requirements, such as the need for an entrance permit.
The submission must include:
- Justification report to explain why co-location on an adjacent tower is not feasible
- Technical details (including a detailed site plan) about the proposed installation
- Clearance from other agencies as required, including Quinte Conservation
The formal submission of plans and documents to the municipality officially starts Industry Canada’s (IC) 120-day expectation of moving from contact with the Land Use Authority (LUA) to the satisfaction of IC’s general and technical requirements.
As part of the community consultation process, the proponent is required to:
- Prepare the notification package and submit it to the Director of Operations for review
- Prepare the newspaper advertisement and submit it to the Director of Operations for review. The Director may suggest the most appropriate local community newspaper given the project location.
- Identify all landowners and their mailing addresses within the notification radius (five times the height of the proposed tower or one kilometre, whichever is greater). The proponent submits the mailing address list to the Operations Clerk, who verifies its accuracy using the GIS system tools; the Clerk advises the proponent of any additions or removals.
- Issue the notification mailings and arrange for the newspaper advertisement to be published simultaneously. The 30-day public comment period commences once the advertisement has appeared in the newspaper.
- Following the comment period, the proponent is required to address all reasonable and relevant concerns, make all reasonable efforts to resolve them in a mutually acceptable manner and must keep record of associated communications.
When all reasonable and relevant concerns have been addressed, the proponent can request a Letter of Concurrence from the Director of Operations, which is not to be unreasonably withheld.
Once the Letter of Concurrence has been issued by the Director of Operations, the proponent can then apply to Industry Canada for final approval and, if achieved, move to construction.
Wired Communications in Public Places
The County has developed the following process service providers must follow for constructing, maintaining, and operating their wired communications equipment in municipal rights-of-way (ROWs) and other public places.
When an inquiry is received by the County of Prince Edward, the municipal Director of Operations shares with the proponent the standard Municipal Access Agreement (MAA). The Council-approved MAA sets out the requirements on any telecommunications companies proposing to install equipment in Prince Edward County.
The Council-approved standard MAA is based on the template originally created by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) but tailored for the local Prince Edward County context. In addition to setting out the requirements, the standard MAA includes schedules of Council-approved fees and charges as well as permits and relocation costs, which could vary by agreement based upon the scope/scale or type of work.
Once the municipality and proponent enter into an MAA agreement, the proponent can apply for the required municipal consents and road occupancy permits before moving to construction or installation.
Wired Communications in Subdivisions
The County’s standard subdivision agreement requires the owner to ensure that sufficient facilities for wireline and/or fibre optic high-speed access communication/telecommunication services are available or will be made available to each residential lot or block within the subdivision lands.
Communications / telecommunications services and facilities may be provided by one or more providers including providers of wholesale high speed access services or other high speed access service providers leasing wholesale services pursuant to Telecom Regulatory Policy CRTC 2015-326, as amended, or any successor policy thereto. The services and facilities shall, at a minimum, be emergency services (911) compatible.
As part of the subdivision agreement, the owner must agree to grant any easements that may be required for communication / telecommunication services.
Furthermore, the owner must provide one or more conduit or conduits of sufficient size from each dwelling unit to the room(s) in which the telecommunication facilities are situated and one or more conduits from the room(s) in which the communications/telecommunication facilities are located to the street line, to the satisfaction of the communication / telecommunications facilities provider(s).
More information
Interested in learning more? Contact the County’s Operations Department via email at operations@pecounty.on.ca or call 613.476.2148 extension 4006.