'I use my landline': Some Port Coquitlam residents frustrated with poor cell service

B.C. mayor speaks out about poor cell reception When it comes to disconnecting land lines, there’s one corner of Metro Vancouver that appears to be bucking the trend – out of necessity.

Port Coquitlam, B.C. — While many people in Metro Vancouver have moved on from land lines, in parts of Port Coquitlam, they are still considered a necessity.

Port Coquitlam resident Adel Tawakul said he’s tried all three major telecom providers in recent months – Telus, Rogers and Bell, the parent company of CTV News – and has not been able to get a reliable signal with any of them while inside his home.

Tawakul has found a system for staying connected, but his frustration is clear.

“When I’m at home, I don’t use my cellphone,” he said. “If I want to make a call, I use my landline. But if I’m outside, I use my cellphone.”

Tawakul’s experience is not an isolated case. Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West made a post about the issue this week, which attracted more than 200 replies – many of them expressing similar frustrations and sharing negative experiences.

“I struggle with my reception with my provider and we’ve called them, and they haven’t been able to fix it,” Port Coquitlam resident and Rogers customer Keenan Adams told CTV News on Thursday.

As a worker who is often on call, he’s concerned missing calls could affect his employment.

“I work on call at the railroad,” Adams said. “It’s important I get my calls to keep the economy moving. Hopefully we can get some action. I appreciate the mayor speaking out.”

CTV News contacted the three major cell providers to get a sense of what, if anything, is being done to address the issue.

“We have invested over $28 million in Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody (in 2024 alone),” read a statement from TELUS. “We are always happy to sit down with Mayor West or other local government officials to discuss the connectivity needs of their constituents.”

Rogers also provided a statement, which read, “We’re committed to delivering a reliable, consistent wireless experience for our customers and are always looking to enhance our network, including in Port Coquitlam.”

As for Bell, it provided this statement: “Bell works with partners to deliver wireless service in the Port Coquitlam area as we don’t have our own infrastructure in the vicinity. We will continue to collaborate with our partners on understanding the needs of the community.”

West told CTV News he was unavailable for an interview on Thursday as he was out of town, but in his Facebook post, wrote, “I know many have complained to their provider, but nothing has changed. I’m going to make a real push to the service providers to fix this once and for all.”