Bell Canada president admits ‘congestion’ issues slowed down Yukon cell network

Bell Canada president Mirko Bibic says the company takes complaints from Yukon residents about poor cellphone service in the territory “extremely seriously.”

Bibic responded to a letter sent by Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai this week to the company, expressing frustrations about poor cellphone service in the territory where the company is the dominant player.

He says in a letter of response that Bell investigated once it was told about the problems customers were having, and found that there were “congestion issues,” partly due to greater usage on the network.

Bibic’s letter says upgrade work also may have caused some people to experience “intermittent disruptions.”

It says the company will “monitor the situation” to avoid similar issues in the future, and adds that Bell is investing $22 million over three years to expand its network in Yukon.

Pillai’s letter to Bibic on July 25 outlined several issues angering Yukon residents, including dropped calls, delayed text messages and “patchy internet connections,” and how reliable cellphone service is needed in emergencies because it “can be a matter of life and death.”

“Bell needs to live up to their obligations mandated by the (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission) and do better,” Pillai’s letter said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 26, 2024.

The Canadian Press