Ed. note: this is a letter to Mirko Bibic, the Montreal-based president and CEO of Bell Canada.
On behalf of Yukoners, I am writing to express my concerns regarding the ongoing issues with cell phone service in the Yukon, including frequent dropped calls and poor coverage that have been reported by many Yukon residents, Yukon First Nations, and Yukon businesses.
As premier of the Yukon, it is my responsibility to ensure that Yukoners have reliable services that support their 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.
Telecommunications are vital for the well-being and prosperity of our communities, especially in a region as vast and remote as Yukon.
The current level of service provided by Bell in the Yukon has not met the expectations of residents, causing frustration and hindering daily activities.
The reliability of cell service is especially critical for emergency situations where connectivity can be a matter of life and death.
Among other things, the CRTC expects telecom providers to prevent outages and improve service reliability. We need assurance that Bell Canada is doing everything it can to follow this 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.
I urge Bell to prioritize resolving these issues as soon as possible and to work closely with Northwestel and local stakeholders to enhance service quality and coverage.
We value Bell’s presence in our community, and are eager to see improvements that reflect the needs and expectations of Yukoners. I hope that Bell can address these challenges and continue to play a pivotal role in connecting the Yukon’s communities.
I request an update on the steps Bell plans to take to address these concerns and a timeline for their implementation so that Yukoners can be assured that work is underway to restore the uninterrupted cell phone service that we depend upon.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your prompt response.
Ranj Pillai
Premier
Government of Yukon
Whitehorse
