Starting next year, cellphone service may be available to people driving on the Canadian portion of the Alaska Highway.

Crews were in Whitehorse over the weekend, installing a new tower.

“We've done Whitehorse,” says Rick Panoulias, a service manager with North Peace Communications, the company putting in the infrastructure. “And then throughout 2015, we should be covering all the way on the Alaska Highway from about Fort St. John right through to Alaska.”

In all, about a hundred small cellphone towers will be erected along the highway.

The carrier, RuralCom, hopes to have the full service up and running some time next year.

It’s part of the relatively new company’s expansion plans.

“In addition to bringing new competition to the areas RuralCom will serve, the company expects its network to significantly enhance public safety for all wireless users and travellers whether they are RuralCom subscribers or roamers from other network operators,” says Bob Hillman, president and CEO, in an email.

Hillman says the Vancouver-based company has even more “aggressive” plans for 2016 and 2017.