Frustrated residents on Prince Edward Island continue to report dropped calls, garbled conversations, and missed texts, but the big carriers say they are investing in improvements.
CBC News contacted several telecom providers after residents described service as “absolutely terrible” and even a potential safety issue.
One resident Darlene Jurkowski said you can’t understand what people are saying half the time, saying service in Chelton is just really bad. She says her Bell contract costs nearly $400 per month, used to run a family construction business, but can’t make reliable calls.
Eastlink said in a statement, “We have no reports of broad mobile service issues across the Island and remain committed to continuous improvements.”
Other residents had safety concerns, saying they need to be able to communicate in an emergency such as being able to call 911.
Rogers responded that it is focused on delivering “a reliable wireless experience while continually investing in our national network.”
Bell pointed to its coverage footprint, noting it operates 85 towers across P.E.I., more than any other carrier. In a statement, the company said it is “committed to providing reliable wireless service across Prince Edward Island” and is investing in upgrades to help handle seasonal demand during the busy tourism months.
Provincial officials have set aside $2.5 million in funding to support new towers, but service providers say the business case for improvements remains a challenge. In the meantime, the province is urging residents to log complaints with their carriers and the CRTC.
“We need to have the buy-in from the companies. My understanding is that there really isn’t a business model there for them to improve service, so we as a province — and through the federal government — are going to have to find a way forward,” said Belfast-Murray River MLA Darlene Compton.
What can residents and businesses do if they can’t get a solid wireless service? They could sign up for Starlink and get a Starlink Mini unit, carry it around with them and then use a VoIP service or Wi-Fi calling to make and receive calls. But of course not everybody can afford to do that.
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This is literally the definition of monopoly. The business case for improvements is supposed to be so they don’t lose customers but customers don’t seem to have a choice since they all collectively suck together.
A monopoly is ONE company, "mono" is "literally" the definition. When there is more than one company, it is not a monopoly. Rogers and Bell have towers and apparently so does Eastlink.
It’s a utility, it’s time we manage it as such!
Landlines are relatively cheap and should be a staple for business use in most cases. Most carriers allow you to use an available internet (cell phone settings) in areas of poor cell signals. I'm not excusing telecoms here as they continue to act as monopolies, nor am I excusing Governments as they are supposed to provide oversight.