Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai is putting Bell Canada on blast regarding ongoing issues with telecommunications service in the Yukon, like frequent dropped calls and poor coverage being reported by Yukon residents, businesses and First Nations.
Pillai addressed a strongly worded letter dated July 25 to Bell Canada. The letter was provided by his team to media along with a statement that reads:
“Yukoners are pissed — and rightly so. Cell phone reception has been terrible for months, even in the middle of downtown Whitehorse. Calls keep cutting out and service providers don’t seem able to tell Yukoners why."
He pins the problem on Bell Canada since it operates the cell towers in the territory.
“They need to answer for the dropped calls, delayed texts and patchy internet connections that Yukoners keep experiencing. In emergency situations, reliable cell phone service can be a matter of life or death and Bell needs to live up to their obligations mandated by the CRTC and do better,” Pillai said in the statement.
Pillai is requesting an update on Bell’s plans to address his concerns and a timeline to carry it out.
In his letter to Bell Canada's top executive Mirko Bibic, Pillai took responsibility, as premier, for ensuring Yukoners have reliable services for safety, economic activities and quality of life.
“As the President and CEO of Bell Canada, it is your responsibility to ensure that cellular customers are receiving the services they pay for with minimal disruption,” Pillai said.
Pillai noted the importance of telecommunications in a vast, remote place like the Yukon, particularly in emergency situations.
“The current level of service provided by Bell in the Yukon has not met the expectations of residents, causing frustration and hindering daily activities,” he said.
Pillai sought assurance that Bell Canada is doing everything in its power to meet its mandate in Canada’s North.
“In 2024, it should be embarrassing to telecommunications providers that Yukoners cannot have uninterrupted cell phone calls in the downtown of their capital city,” reads Pillai’s letter.
He is calling on Bell Canada to make fixing the problem a priority and to work closely with Northwestel and local stakeholders to improve service quality and coverage.
A statement from Morgan Shipley, a senior manager in communications for Bell Canada, states the company takes the concerns shared by the premier and impacted customers seriously.
The network issues are under investigation, she said, as the company works "as quickly as possible" to resolve them.
"We will continue to update our government partners and impacted customers. As we complete network upgrades to add 4G and 5G service in the region, customers will have access to improved speeds and reliability," reads the company's statement.
Contact Dana Hatherly at dana.hatherly@yukon-news.com
