Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai didn’t mince words in describing how terrible Bell wireless service is in the territory.
In a letter written to Bell’s CEO Mirko Bibic, and shared with the media, Pillai called the service “embarrassing.” He cited how there are frequent dropped calls and poor coverage, even in downtown Whitehorse, reports the Canadian Press.
“It should be embarrassing to telecommunications providers that Yukoners cannot have uninterrupted cellphone calls” in the year 20245, said the premier.
@CRTCeng@FP_Champagne
Yet another example of why Canadians' essential public telephone and Internet services should not be controlled by a highly concentrated private oligopoly of oligarchs…@matthtfld@OpenMediaOrg@KeldonB@CompBureauhttps://t.co/rkGZr2Sy4E— Campbell Patterson (@CPComm) July 26, 2024
“The current level of service provided by Bell has not met the expectations of residents,” Pillai wrote, noting the potential danger during emergencies due to the unreliable service. Bell owns nearly all the cellphone towers in the territory.
Calls frequently are cut out and that service providers have been unable to provide explanations to residents, says Pillai.
Samer Bishay, founder and CEO of Iristel, shared his thoughts about Bell in the Yukon on Friday.
“In recent times, we’ve seen the federal government pour millions into established telecom giants like Bell Canada, with the expectation that they will deliver reliable and advanced telecommunications services across our vast country. However, the reality is often far from this expectation. These companies frequently overshoot budgets, deliver subpar services, and then hold the government hostage for additional funds to cover their shortcomings. The result? The people and provincial governments end up bearing the brunt of these failures,” wrote Bishay.
“In the world of technology, it’s usually the young innovators who bring the best solutions, not the established giants who rest on their glories. Just look at how Starlink has disrupted an entire industry that was stagnant for years. When you trust an incumbent, you might think you’re getting a tried, tested, and true solution, but more often than not, you’re getting outdated technology and complacency,” continued Bishay.
He continued to say, “I have firsthand experience with this issue. We are the only operators covering all three territories in Canada, and we’ve done it without a penny from the federal or provincial governments. We innovate, adapt, and deliver because we understand the needs of our communities and are committed to meeting them with cutting-edge solutions.”
“This is a call to action. It’s time to stop wasting taxpayer money on companies that fail to deliver. Instead, we should be supporting and investing in young, innovative companies that have the potential to truly revolutionize the telecommunications landscape in Canada. It’s time for a change, and that change starts with recognizing and rewarding true innovation over outdated incumbency,” he said.
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Bell cellular service along of Hwy 11 & Hwy 101 from North Bay to Timmins is embarrassing as well as there are way to many dead spots & Hwy 144 from Sudbury to Timmins for Bell and Rogers cellular service is Nonexistent for about 80% of that Hwy.
I don’t LOVE the idea in principle, but in such a rural region, should the cell carriers not (were they not already?) be just sharing the same network and towers?
Cell carriers are never going to get the money back on their investment in these types of area, which is why the government funding exists…. But if the residents are STILL not getting proper service even with the funding, they should be funded at all.
The funds may be better spent by a government building their own cell network, and use unleased spectrum instead.
(Why make a carrier auction and pay for spectrum in non-profitable areas, only to then give the money back to them to actually use it?)
Bell Cellphone Service ̶i̶n̶ ̶Y̶u̶k̶o̶n̶ is ‘Embarrassing’
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There, fixed the lead line for you.
Bell
Cellphone Service ̶i̶n̶ ̶Y̶u̶k̶o̶n̶is EmbarrassingBetter yet!!
Well, kudos to him for putting in official words what many customers are saying. Will it change anything? Probably not.
Will Bhell support (financially) any other candidate come election time? You bet.
It's the feds that need to apply real pressure on the cartel, but they are too busy lining their pockets and telling us how much they "forced" prices to drop.