STORY
Pearson Airport to ban cellphone service


The Ottawa Citizen


Monday, July 01, 2002



Airport police and other federal agencies in Toronto are stocking up on two-way radios as Pearson International Airport is slated to become the first world-class airport to ban cellphone service.

The Greater Toronto Airports Authority said power will be cut Wednesday to communications equipment owned by companies that provide airport cellular service. It said Rogers Wireless, Bell, Telus and Microcell failed to come up with $1 million each to improve cellular signal strength.

The power cut will also silence pagers, fax machines and Internet access. Officers of 14 federal agencies at the airport have been scrambling for two-way radios, which they say aren't secure and will threaten to national security.

An authority spokesman said emergency and security procedures won't be affected, since two-way radios are Pearson's main source of communication.


**** A sad day indeed.....