Bell’s Wireless Service in Yukon is So Bad a Hotline was Set Up

Bell, which controls nearly all cell towers in the Yukon, is facing ongoing criticism regarding its wireless service in the region.

Premier Ranj Pillai slammed Bell’s wireless service last month, publicly calling it “embarrassing,” in a scathing letter to the company’s CEO Mirko Bibic. But the situation also affects everyone with a cellphone, regardless of those with Bell.

“Bell Canada owns and operates all but a handful of cell towers in the Yukon, so even Yukoners with other mobility providers must rely on Bell towers for cellular service,” the premier’s office stated in an email to Yukon-News.

In response to complaints, Bell created a dedicated hotline for customers dealing with wireless service issues in the Yukon. “If customers are experiencing issues with their wireless service, they should contact us at 1-888-883-0966 so we can assist,” Morgan Shipley, Bell’s senior communications manager.

Bibic addressed the ongoing concerns, stating that the root cause of the recent issues was increased usage combined with “intermittent disruptions” due to “local upgrades.” He noted that the problem has been “fully resolved” and emphasized that Bell is investing over $22 million in the Yukon to expand 4G and 5G services, aiming to enhance speed and reliability.

Despite these assurances, Yukon government officials remain dissatisfied. After attempting to report issues via the hotline, Cabinet communications followed up with the News, reporting that the person answering the phone was unable to assist and appeared unaware of the situation in the Yukon.

“It’s not the customer service agent’s fault. Corporate leadership at Bell continues to ignore the needs of Yukoners, and Yukoners deserve better,” Cabinet communications stated in an email.

This wireless situation is taking a turn for the worse, but according to Bell everything has been fixed. Clearly, those callers on the ground have no idea what they’re talking about and Bell can do no wrong, right?