Yukoners frustrated by months of shoddy cell and internet service
CBC
Frustration in the Yukon is mounting over months of frequent telecommunications outages.
Whitehorse resident Rhiannon Russell has noticed issues in her cell service for weeks. During many of her recent calls, there have been gaps of about 10 seconds where the audio cuts out completely.
"As Yukoners, we get accustomed to crappy telecommunications services and we shouldn't have to," she said.
Ben Warburton, store manager and Whitehorse resident, says quality of service has been deteriorating for weeks. He is now unreachable by phone for parts of his commute and his downtown workplace has lost internet access several times.
Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai is also speaking out about the issue.
On Wedesday, he sent an email to Bell Canada's CEO denouncing the quality of service the company, which owns the majority of Yukon's cell towers, has been providing. The email was shared with media.
"It should be embarrassing to telecommunications providers that Yukoners cannot have uninterrupted cell phone calls in the downtown of their capital city," he wrote.
"In emergency situations, reliable cellphone service can be a matter of life or death and Bell needs to live up to their obligations mandated by the CRTC and do better."
Also copied on the email were Curtis Shaw, Northwestel's president, and Claire Anderson, British Columbia and Yukon's CRTC commissioner.
Mirko Bibic, Bell Canada's President and CEO, personally responded to Pillai's letter a day later. He said "congestion issues" caused by greater usage on the network were partly to blame for the issues, along with upgrade work that may have caused "intermittent disruptions."
Bibic said the problems should now be resolved, but the company would notify customers in affected areas "in the unlikely event that issues arise."
The CEO also said the company is investing $22 million to improve the Yukon's 4G and 5G services, but did not clarify which projects that money is funding.
The Yukon government is currently working to install an $85 million backup fibre line from Dawson City to Inuvik, which Northwestel will lease and operate for two decades.
Northwestel, which is owned by Bell Canada, has contributed $15 million to the fibre line project.
Oil prices fell Monday morning after President Donald Trump said the U.S. would hold off on striking Iran’s energy infrastructure amid productive talks between the two countries.
While spring technically started late last week, Newfoundland and Labrador isn't free from winter weather just yet.
The Sudbury School Bus Consortium is suspending all school buses in Greater Sudbury as the community continues to clean up following a major storm.
Two large corporate landlords owning a combined 9,008 rental units in Halifax are reporting smaller annual increases in their average rents for 2025 than the previous year.
The Holt government has reached a deal with Ottawa on compensation for tens of millions of dollars in lost sales tax revenue from the Christmas season in 2024.
The government of Saskatchewan has announced plans to reduce the length of non-resident game bird hunting licences to combat illegal guiding.
An 87-year-old Alberta man is fighting extradition to the United Kingdom to stand trial for historical allegations of physical and sexual assault involving minors.
Eight casinos across southwest B.C. have been sold to First Nations in the last two years, with the province's gambling scene set to be reshaped as a result.
Hamilton hosts the Junos Sunday, and the musical awards show is bringing tourists, musicians, concerts and a ton of themed events to the city this week.
The multi-million-dollar deal at the heart of a high-profile fight between the Canadian government and one of the world’s biggest carmakers contains multiple clauses about the company’s footprint in Ontario, according to a copy obtained by CBC Windsor.
In recent months, Calgary police have carried out three day-long safety blitzes, parading out dozens of officers to flood an area with their increased presence — at least, temporarily.
A national organization is seeking people with experience in Canada's forestry sector as they put together a working group that will examine ways to improve forest recovery following wildfires.
Ella Heyder is bracing for a breakup, even though she already moved out decades ago.