In June, the Yukon government wrote angry letters to Bell, the CRTC and the federal government to complain about poor and degrading wireless service in the territory. It’s not the first time elected officials have resorted to doing so – the territory’s premier penned a similar missive two years ago.
The continuing problems suggest the pleas for improvement are not being answered. For its part, Bell – which holds a virtual monopoly over fibre and wireless networks in Yukon – says the economics don’t make sense. The regulator and feds don’t appear to be helping much, yet.
At a time when more eyes are on arctic security and wildfires are increasing in frequency and intensity, the ongoing connectivity crisis in the North can no longer be ignored – it’s a problem that needs to be addressed urgently.
Jennifer Gehmair, the Yukon minister of Economic Development, Tourism and Culture, joins Do Not Pass Go to discuss how the competitive situation in the territories – or rather the lack of it – means that different solutions involving government and regulators are needed in everything from telecom services to grocery availability.
