Bell MTS says work to deal with landline outages continues

Regulator demands answers from Bell MTS Federal regulators are demanding answers as some Manitobans say their Bell MTS landline service is unacceptable. CTV's Jeff Keele reports.

Bell MTS says work to deal with landline outages in the spring continues and compensation is planned to help those who were impacted.

In a letter sent to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) on Monday, Bell MTS said it is taking steps to improve service in Winnipeg where users reported issues with their landlines this spring.

Bell MTS is owned by Bell Media, the parent company of CTV Winnipeg.

“Last year, we implemented a new ticketing system to improve dispatching and case monitoring within the province. We have also significantly increased hiring and training of technicians,” wrote Philippe Gauvin, assistant general counsel with Bell MTS. “By the end of July 2022, we will have doubled the number of line technicians available within the Winnipeg area since September 2021.”

During the spring, CTV Winnipeg reported on several customers dealing with outages or connection troubles with their phones. The CRTC demanded Bell MTS identify all landline quality issues in the Winnipeg area, and create a plan and timeline to address the issue.

Bell MTS said the wet spring weather and outdated cable infrastructure were to blame.

The letter added Bell MTS has brought in extra technicians from other cities in Manitoba, as well as other provinces to help increase the repair load. The company has also offered assistance to customers dealing with the outages.

“We are also providing customers that are experiencing service disruptions, and that have a Bell Mobility phone, with 50 gigabytes of data - free of charge – to allow the customer use of their Bell Mobility phone as a hotspot to access the Internet in addition to making voice calls,” Gauvin wrote.

With files from CTV's Jeff Keele